The Beginning of the End
by Superpoweredfan7
Summary: Two worlds collide when Supergirl faces a threat she's never seen before. Confused, she finds Barry Allen in the same situation and together they rally a team in hopes of destroying the evil that has united against them. They're in the fight of their lives.
1. Chapter 1- A Multiverse

**Disclaimer** : These characters are not mine. They belong to DC Comics, CW, and CBS. Credit to them. (This applies for the whole story because I don't feel like putting this on each page)

 **A/N** : Hey, guys. So this story is one that I've been thinking about and, trust me, it's a long one. I hope y'all are in this for the long run because I have no intentions of stopping soon. This chapter is just some prewritten, with a hint of opinion, background for what's coming up next.(so credit to comic writers.) I hope y'all enjoy. Please comment on what you think! I'd love to hear your ideas. Also please tell me if these chapters are too long.

 **Prologue**

 **10 Billion Years Ago**

Krona looked around, disgusted at the so called guardians. His fellow Maltusians argued and bickered with one another over the emotions. Why they held them in such contempt, he would never know. All he did was argue on the behalf of the Emotional Embodiments, these sentient energies that had been brought to life from the situations of life. His job comprised of imprisoning these intriguing energies, all in the name of anger. How small these guardians think. He chuckled to himself. They could become more powerful. They could rule.

His immortality was a blessing as well a curse. It was agonizing that he was so close to the source of great power, but he was fortunate that he could be cautious in his attempts to access it. Those idiots practically left the door open for him to steal the map to the unlimited power. He need only prove to these fools who was superior. He had already constructed a gauntlet that was powered by the Green Light of Willpower. Surely he could find a fortuitous situation for him to use it.

A large crash awakened him from his bitter thoughts, and he spun around just as a red arm swung into his jaw. He stumbled backwards as another threw a punch at his knee. He lunged towards his gauntlet and fired the pure energy into the Manhunter. It exploded into fragments, and the other moved to attack Krona again. He focused his energy towards it and brought the machine to its knees. Such enjoyable irony. The guardians bicker over emotions, and their distaste for them became their downfall. These emotionless robots could not differentiate between living things and therefore they could be programmed without a chance of feeling and rebellion. He laughed to himself. Of course. This was his moment.

* * *

The guardians were bewildered at the sight before them. Their flawless machines were attacking planets full of innocents. The Manhunters tore through Space Sector .666 and annihilated the universe they had sworn to protect. Immediately, they moved to contain the problem and finally they did. Debris and bodies littered the streets of the planet Ryut and very few remained alive. However, with the situation handled momentarily, the guardians faced the pressing issue that was Krona.

"Why? Why did you commit such a heinous act against the planet Ryut?" they questioned.

A deep laugh erupted from the intense, blue-skinned figure before them. "Why? You ask me why? You fools! You claim to want to protect this universe, yet you construct such primitive machines to do so! You know nothing of the power of emotions!"

"Enough!" the guardians shouted at once. "Your hubris has caused a mass of murder, and that is a crime which you cannot place on our shoulders! We have considered you an ally, but we can no longer. Krona, you know of the crime you are to accept."

Again they heard him laugh. "Fools. You know nothing and still you are content. I am dissatisfied, but I will find the source of power."

Krona's eyes lifted upwards as he disappeared from their eyes, leaving a trail of green energy behind him. The guardians shook their heads in disappointment.

"He is right." The others turned to stare at their comrade. "The Manhunters are not accomplishing our goals. They are incapable of making decisions for the people. They have no internal sense of morality other than what we have programmed in them. We need a better solution."

The other guardians exchanged looks and then turned towards the first. "Perhaps. I suppose you have thought of a better solution."

"I have. Perhaps…perhaps we could create a group of protectors. Noble beings committed to defending the universe."

The other guardians frowned slightly, contemplating the new idea. "Yes. Maybe a corps of some sort? Regular beings with the ability to respond and use emotions to their advantage. Yes. I like that. Let us talk."

While the guardians conferenced, Krona continued to fester in his anger, letting it build deep in his soul. True power has only been demonstrated in creation. The ability to create life and energy around. _That is true power. I must know the secret._ Ancient laws warning of the dangerous repercussions of viewing the creation of the world did nothing to deter Krona from his invention.

Time was delicate. Each moment was integral to the space time continuum. One change could affect all aspects of time. Past, present, and future. Viewing such powerful moments such as the creation and start of life would be a true honor and one that would finally grant him the knowledge that he so desperately desired. Krona knew the absurd doom that the Maltusians seemed to think loomed over him, but he didn't care. This was all he strived for.

To witness the beginning of the world one would have to travel to the past. However, time blocked any attempt to travel through. The physical gradient of time was against him with everything pushing towards the future. He would have to pierce the temporal shield that surrounds time itself with a gravitational pull and make his machine vibrate at a certain speed to project to a certain location in space. The trick was to control the frequency of the vibrations so that it could still be visible in this time but also display the events that occurred in the beginning. He would have to measure the amount of entropy in the universe and find the low levels that once existed in the wake of the universe.

However, the danger of this experiment posed exponential consequences to the making of the universe. He would have to, essentially, construct a machine that pierces the dimension of time at speeds greater than the speed of light by altering the gravitational pull around him into a circle, creating a breach of space. The breach could open a doorway to the past in a continuous, suspended loop of time. The specific curvature of space at this point in time would, theoretically, anchor the machine to this time period.

It was a crude plan, he admitted that, but it was an idea that could possibly work. And so he continued. Krona ignored the pathetic warnings the guardians threw at him and worked on his device. The circular track had metal poles protruding out of several spots around it. They projected a compressed beam of energy that would, hopefully, move faster than the speed of light to create a loop of time. The poles also served as gravitational emitters that decreased the gravity around him to allow time to move faster. The altered gravity combined with the speed would open a breach to the past that would start and rewind again and again. Krona discovered the entropy levels that were in the beginning of time, and he created a machine that would send the coordinates to locate the exact place in space.

The machine altogether took years to build and there had been many attempts to thwart the device's construction. However, he managed to evade any more attempts and now the day had arrived for him to perform the experiment. He had run simulations to determine the mathematical certainty that he would survive such fluctuating gravity and speed rates around him, and they had all come back in confirmation that he would be fine.

Krona smiled. This was it. The day he become a god. Flipping several switches, the device powered up and sent the compressed energy traveling around his track. Gradually it gained in speed before his eyes couldn't keep up, becoming only a single line of light. He felt the things around him slow down and rise in the air as the aura of speed surrounded the room in an uncontrolled fashion. The gravity emitters worked. He saw the acceleration monitors increase as the gravity around him decreased. They surpassed the speed of light and he could slowly see a blue-white hole grow, dead center of the machine. It slowly grew bigger until it was the size of a door.

Krona peered inside, seeing a large hand. Surprised, he leaned forward to allow for a better view. He could barely make out an outline of something else in the hand. He stepped closer, almost walking into the blue-white breach.

Lightning crackled and zapped, electrocuting the machine and throwing him backwards. Dazed, he stared as his past few years of work burned away in a scorching fire. He had been so close. So close to the unveiling of infinite knowledge.

Krona didn't even try to escape when the guardians came for him. He could sense something big had occurred when the lightning struck, but he could only pay notice to the infuriating anger he felt. The disappointment at the turn of events.

The guardians stood before him again, giving him a frustrating feeling of déjà vu.

"What is it this time?" he asked, dryly.

The guardians laughed bitterly. "You are a fool. You have no idea what you have done, do you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I do not care about the repercussions."

They gritted their teeth and sighed. "Again, you are a fool. A fool that we can no longer afford. We sentence you to a life as disembodied energy. Forever you will roam."

Krona's eyes widened, for once showing fear. "No…you—"

A flash of light rid the area of his body, and he floated away in his cursed form. The guardians' face hardened as they watched Krona drift.

They turned to each other. "What is the extent of his actions?"

"Too much." He stared into the deep space. "Our universe is alone no longer. I sense the varying vibrations of different earths, evil, and now the unknown. He has created infinite earths."

The others sucked in a breath, disturbed by the news. "What can be done?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. We can do nothing except protect. Our Manhunters were a failure; Krona helped us recognize that. We need your idea. We need a corps dedicated to protecting the…the…multiverse."

"You mean..."

"Yes. Proceed with the idea. We need defenders. We owe it to the universe for our sins."


	2. Chapter 2- Towering Inferno

**A/N:** Hey, guys! Now we dive into the real story with some of our favorite characters. I'm excited! I hope to get these chapters out relatively consistently so y'all won't have to wait long. Plus, I'm already enjoying writing this so much. Now to give y'all some sense of the time, this is when everything will be taking place. Supergirl season 2 finale will stay the same, for The Flash season 3 finale we're going to pretend that everything turned out great with Savitar dead and Barry not walking into the Speed Force. (Sorry, we're going to keep H.R. out of this) For the Arrow, we're going to pretend that they killed Prometheus and everyone's not possibly dead. Hope it's not too confusing. Basically everything is fine for each show except Mon-El is in still in space and H.R. is still dead. Without further ado, here we go!

 **Chapter 2**

 **Earth-38**

Kara Zor-El flew high in the clouds, avoiding the world. The past few months were permanently scratched in her mind, tearing everything else from her thoughts. The high altitude and thin air seemed to be the only thing that could clear everything that occupied her thoughts these past few days. Kara wanted so much for things to have ended differently than they had with Mon-El. She loved him. She loved everything about him, but she would never see him again. She changed direction and flew higher until she was teetering on the edge of the atmosphere, the air so thin that she had trouble breathing. She closed her eyes and floated there.

Her com crackled, and Alex's voice cut into her thoughts. She sighed and lowered herself until the reception was better, and she could hear her sister's voice.

"K-Kara? Kara, do read me? Hey, you there?" she asked, worry seeping into her voice.

"Yeah, Alex. I'm here. What's wrong?" Kara said, tiredly.

Alex laughed. "Well, considering you're floating over 320,000 feet in the air, I'd say that I should be asking you that." Her voice softened. "Kara, come back down here. Let's talk."

A loud crash broke into Kara's mind as her ears picked up the sound a few miles away. She lifted her arms and took after the now several crashes and bangs that were coming from the middle of National City.

"Sorry, Alex. Gotta go. Something's causing a mess downtown. We'll talk later." Kara said, more than a little relieved that they wouldn't be hashing everything out right then.

A large fire licked the sides of the building and began crawling up the floors. Loud screams came from the building and the people on the ground who were pointing at the flaming skyscraper. Kara dove towards the building, using her breath to put out the fire. Relieved, the fire stopped, and she flew inside to help any civilians that might still be alive. She saw a little girl in the corner holding a small teddy bear. She pointed behind Kara, making her turn around. Surprised, she saw the flames she had just put out burning hotter than before and coming dangerously close to the little girl. Kara sped towards the girl and threw her cape over the side of her head, just as the flame reached over. They receded, and Kara used the small moment of time to use her freeze breath to put out the fire again.

"Alex! Are you there?" she asked, her panic growing with each second.

"What's wrong, Kara? The DEO's picking up major heat signatures from your general location. Is it a Fort Rozz escapee?" she asked.

"I don't know! I keep putting out the fires out, but they keep coming back! What do I do?"

"Someone has to be controlling it! If the fire's going to stop, you have to find who's doing this!"

Kara gritted her teeth, her arms still wrapped around the terrified little girl. "Alex, I can't do that and keep this girl from being roasted alive at the same time! I need your help! How far away are you?"

"I'm five minutes out! Almost there! Hold on, Kara!"

Though the heat didn't bother her, she could see the effect it had on the little girl. Her hair was stringy with sweat, and her skin was pink all over. The girl's clothes were torn and her feet had blisters covering almost the whole sole. Kara's heart broke a little at the sight of the ragtag girl in front of her.

"Hey. What's your name?" Kara asked gently.

"Ma-Mary."

Kara smiled at the terrified girl. "Hi. My name is Supergirl. I'm going to get you out of this, I swear."

Mary's face lifted slightly, and she reached to grab onto Kara's hand. She held it and gave it a quick squeeze. "My sister is coming. She's going to help us out a little bit. How old are you?"

"I-I'm f-five." she stuttered.

"Wow. Five, huh? Well, Mary. I need your help. I need you to tell me how many others are here. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded and pointed behind the both of them towards a hall of rooms. "M-My m-mommy is do-down there."

"Is that all?"

Mary shook her head and pointed down a different hall. "M-my friend is down there. All the others are gone."

"Okay, tha—" Kara was cut off be another wave of flames that crashed over them and stopped at Kara's cape. Mary screamed and squeezed Kara's hand even harder than she had before. Kara quickly turned and blew them out.

"Kara? I'm here. I don't see anyone!" Alex said, her hand pressed firmly against the side of her head.

"We can't wait anymore! Mary passed out in my arms! She's not going to last much longer, and she said that there are others in the building. Is there an ambulance on the ground?"

"Yes, Kara. What are you thinking?" Alex asked, worried.

"I'm going to superspeed her down there. They need to get an oxygen mask on her right away. She's inhaled a lot of smoke."

"Kara, that doesn't tell me how you plan to get past the fire that seems to relight itself every five seconds." Alex said, exasperated.

"Alex, I need you to trust me, okay? I can do this."

Alex rubbed her face and turned towards the paramedics, ordering them to ready a stretcher for, possibly, 3 or more people. They nodded and got to work.

Kara took a deep breath as the flames lifted over her and then blew them out as if they were only a small birthday candle. She flashed from her position with Mary in her arms, moving faster than she had in her entire life. Kara burst through the window, glass flying everywhere, and landed on the ground. She checked Mary over and only saw minor cuts. She handed her over to Alex and zoomed back into the fiery death trap for the remaining people. One. Two. Three. Four. Again and again she evacuated each floor of people that were trapped inside the building. Kara checked for any stragglers that she might have missed when a bolt of fire threw her back into the wall behind her. She grunted and stood, seeing a woman in front of her.

The woman had hair almost as red as the fire raging around them and her outfit looked like one someone might find in a club. It was tight and form fitting with a hole on her chest, revealing her cleavage. The pants were tight as well with bright red stilettos on her feet. The woman smiled at her.

"If it isn't Kara Zor-El. I know who's looking for you. In fact, I think they have a lot they want from you." She smiled. "I just don't know which one you'd consider better. My previous boss, or the one I have now.

She winked at Kara as the flames reached higher than before. Kara tried to blew them out but was hit by another blast of fire, momentarily distracting her from blowing out the flames. The split second was all the time the mystery woman needed, and she burned through the remaining key points that held the building up. Kara moved to exit out the window but was struck by the floor above her. She fell to the ground as fifteen floors came crumbling down on top of her.

Alex stood watching as the entire skyscraper crashed down on her little sister. Her hand flew to her mouth as she raced towards the building, ignoring the warnings that they EMT's yelled at her. She felt someone yank her back, making her lose her balance and fall to the ground. Quickly, she stood back up and ran towards the wreckage but stopped when she heard J'onn's voice.

"Stand down, Alex!" he yelled at her. She turned to face him.

"Hank?"

He grabbed her arm. "Calm down, Alex. She's okay!"

Alex scoffed at him. "Is she?" Angrily, she pointed towards the heap of bricks and dust that lay in the middle of the city. "She had a building drop onto her!"

"And she's survived much more than that. She's okay." J'onn said, wrapping Alex in a hug.

She pulled away and stared at the crumbled building her sister was under. Alex had seen the look in Kara's eyes following the days after they got rid of the Daxamites. Kara would always have a light there, following her sunny smile. It was a part of who she was, but the look was dimmed now. She had seen the same haunted countenance after the Myriad incident and now after this one. It broke her heart to not be able to help the one person she cared about the most in her life. She wanted so much for her to be happy like she was, like Winn was, and like J'onn was. One of the few survivors from a doomed planet and now one without the person she had started to love. Alex knew Kara thought she didn't deserve to be happy, like it was something written in fate, and that made her angry. Why couldn't she? She lost more than anyone, but she still sacrificed for everyone else.

A tear held on her eyelid, but she wiped it away quickly when she saw the rubble shift. Piles of dust flew in the air as the broken structure creaked and groaned under Kara. In a truly awe-inspiring sight, Alex saw her sister rise in the air, the rest of the building falling away. Her suit was torn and ash covered every inch of body. Her eyes were sagged and a tired smile tugged at the ends of her mouth. The people began clapping as Kara descended to the ground. Firefighters rushed onto the scene and doused the small sparks that still remained. Kara locked eyes with Alex and both saw the relief in each other's eyes. They wrapped their arms around each other, until Kara pushed Alex back.

"Where is she?" she demanded.

"W-what? What are you talking about? Where is who?" Alex asked, confused.

"The woman who caused this. She was in there with me. Where is she?"

Alex's eyebrows creased in worry as she grabbed Kara's forearm. "Hey. I think you're a little out of it. Let's get you back to the DEO and under the sun lamps. Whoever did this has to be long gone by now. There's nothing else you can do."

Kara shook her head. "No. No. I need to see Mary. Is she okay?"

Alex, still holding onto her sister's forearm, led her to the little girl who was sitting on the stretcher. As soon as Kara came into view, she leapt from where she was sitting and jumped into her arms. Kara held onto her tightly and squeezed gently, not wanting to injure her.

"Supergirl," Mary breathed. "You saved everyone!"

Kara smiled. "You helped me. You did so good! I'm very proud of you!"

The little girl beamed at the praise she received from Supergirl. Kara pointed towards the girl's mother. "You need to go make sure your mommy's alright, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Mary nodded her head vigorously and ran off to her mother, no doubt going to expound on how she helped Supergirl save everyone. Kara sucked in a deep breath and turned towards her older sister.

"I'll see you back at the DEO," Kara said, giving Alex a quick hug. Before she could protest, Supergirl shot back into the sky, her takeoff punctuated by loud clapping and whistling.

Alex gave J'onn a look and he nodded. Sneaking off to an alley, he grabbed onto Alex's waist and the two of them took off to the DEO, arriving only a few minutes after Kara. Alex ran into the building and saw Kara arguing with Dr. Hamilton. The agents around them had slowly broken off except for Winn who motioned for Alex. Quickly, she walked over to him, squatting next to his chair.

"They're arguing about the sun bed. Kara says she's fine, but Dr. Hamilton says she's depleted a lot of energy that could lead to a possible blowout," Winn explained.

Alex nodded and then stomped towards Kara. Grabbing her arm, Alex practically dragged the female Kryptonian to the sun room. Alex pointed at the bed where Kara sheepishly sat down. They continued to glare at each other before Alex broke the silence.

"What the hell is your issue?" she questioned.

"Nothing, Alex."

"Really? Because just this morning I caught you teetering on the edge of the Karman Line, then under fifteen floors of debris, and now you're refusing to sit under the sun lamps." She shook her head in disappointment and moved to turn the lamps that Kara was sitting under on. Kara rubbed her face with her hand and gave Alex a tired look.

"I'm fine. Trust me. I'll sit under these lamps for a while, but then I'm going home." Kara's eyes widened. "Miss Grant. Snapper. Work. Oh my gosh, I'm late!" Kara jumped up and began pacing. "What am I going to do?"

"Hey! Calm down! I'm sure everything will be fine!" Alex argued, trying to calm her sister and push her back down.

Kara gave Alex an apologetic look and then zoomed out the DEO. Alex sighed as she watched her sister take to the clouds. They needed to have a talk. A long one.

* * *

The red-haired woman trekked back to the building, grumbling the whole time. She had already walked 4 miles, and her feet were killing her. Stilettos weren't exactly the most comfortable when taking a hike. Finally, after a long day she reached the building. The headquarters for whatever sinister deed this group would cook up next. Opening the front door, she stepped inside the pitch black hallway. Concentrating, her pointer finger lit up in a low flame. Satisfied, she started a slow walk towards the end of the corridor where a lone door stood. The woman hesitantly opened it and entered into a well-lit room. One other person sat on a couch near the center of the room. Surprised and angry, the woman rushed the other female. She lifted her up and pinned her against the wall.

"Is that anyway to treat old friends?" the woman asked.

She slammed her against the wall. "Cut the crap, Lillian. We aren't friends. You kidnapped me, and then you tried to turn me into a weapon," she said through clenched teeth.

"I think you're misguided, Claire." Lillian Luthor said. "We helped you control your powers. If not for us, you would be on the street and most likely dead."

Claire let Lillian fall to the ground in a heap and lit her hand until it was the size of a bowling ball. "Stop trying to manipulate me with your lies! All you ever did was lie!" Claire reached over and pushed her hand close to Lillian's face, not quite burning her, but letting her feel what could come her way. "Start talking. Why are you here?"

Lillian didn't respond, and Claire shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself" She leaned forward. "Just between the two of us, I'm really glad you didn't say anything because now I get to show you _exactly_ how I feel."

She grinned and attempted to burn her former captor but was thrown back. Claire fell to the ground and looked up at a towering man in a black suit and navy tie. His eyes were hard and despite being bald, he looked young. Perhaps in his early 30s. He offered his hand to her. Glaring at him, she ignored his hand and struggled to her feet. The man straightened his tie and gave her a genuine smile.

"My apologies. I believe that for people to achieve their goals they must be united. Fighting between each other would be counterintuitive to our goals, so let us not engage in such frivolous matters. We have so much to attend to." He leaned towards Claire. "I'm rather excited, and I would venture to say you are as well." He saw Claire glance around, and he followed her gaze. "It is only going to be us. I thought it best for the two of you to resolve any lingering issues you might have before continuing." He tapped his head with his hand. "Oh my. Where are my manners?" He held out his hand to Claire who hesitantly shook it. "Hello. My name is Lex Luthor and there is much we have to discuss."


	3. Chapter 3- An Old Friend

**A/N:** Hey y'all! Thank you for reading and commenting! I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as I am already enjoying writing it. I really like hearing your thoughts so feel free to comment! We're going to be focusing on Supergirl with some special appearances by a lot of people. I'm looking forward to it already. Let's get to it!

 **Disclaimer** : Just as a general reminder...these characters are not mine. They belong to DC, CW, and CBS respectively.

 **Chapter 3**

 **Earth-38**

Kara Zor-El had faced aliens, Kryptonians, fascists, even your everyday criminal, and that she could manage. Punching and fighting to survive, to save the world, was normal for her. Since the day her mother put her on that pod, she had fought to survive in some of the most difficult situations that most 90 year-olds didn't even have to experience. Planets exploding, Phantom Zones, aliens, bullets, rockets, Fort Rozz criminals, the list went on of extraordinary circumstances that made her day-to-day life. It was easy being outwardly strong when you had super-strength to back you up. It was easy to put up a front of confidence when you knew that whatever happened next couldn't kill you. Rarely did she ever let anyone see the raw side of her. The little girl that lost her whole world. Her friends. Family. Normalcy. It was harder to be vulnerable when she was used to being bullet-proof.

Now she saw the looks her sister gave her, like she was broken because of what had happened, and it bothered her. She didn't want that pitying look that people gave her when they found out she was an orphan, and she definitely didn't want her sister to give her that look now. As she flew to CatCo, she pondered the looks her friends and family gave her, and the disconcerting feeling it grew inside of her.

Landing outside in the bushes, she dressed quickly and rushed inside. Holding the latte she had picked up from Noonans earlier, she entered into Miss Grant's office to see her viciously typing on her computer. Kara walked in slowly, fearing being yelled at. Miss Grant looked up, her face betraying nothing and halted her angry typing.

"Well if it isn't Kierra. Finally showing up to work I see, with a latte even. How nice," Cat said, slight sarcasm dripping into her voice.

Kara stepped up to the desk and sat the drink down on her former boss's desk. "Yes, Miss Grant. I had...a...a thing." Cat raised her eyebrow slightly. "It was a small thing, but I, um, was around, so I picked up your latte."

Cat pursed her lips. "Well thank you. I have important business to do now so run along, Kierra. I'm sure we will talk later."

Kara nodded and exited the office to find Snapper. He was rifling through papers and barely looked up when she entered the room. He pointed to the chair next to desk he was sitting at, and she slowly sat down.

"Danvers," he said, no emotion in his voice. "What do you have for me?"

She nodded and began pulling out a folder from her bag. "Right, so I have the after report from the attack on National City. Eyewitness accounts, quotes from the NCPD and Supergirl herself. One thousand words exactly, double spaced, and written in AP style. "

Snapper nodded, mildly impressed at the young blonde in front of him. "Alright. Let me see, and then I want you to take to Lena Luthor. I have sources saying she took part in Rhea's plan. I want her statement on the matter. We can add it in later." Seeing the slight disappointment in the young woman's face, he paused. "Good work, Danvers."

Kara smiled to herself and hurried along. Her phone binged and she brought it up to her ear. "What's up?"

"Remember that woman who attacked the building earlier today?" Alex asked, already knowing the answer.

Kara stopped and her body tensed. "Yeah. Do you have something?"

"Yeah. We have a possible lead on who she might be, and why she attacked the skyscraper," Alex said, enthused.

Kara walked quickly to the exit and ripped open her shirt, revealing the coat of arms for the House of El. "I'm on my way."

Kara arrived at the DEO only a couple minutes after Alex had called her, landing softly on the balcony. She met Alex halfway and gave her a short hug. J'onn walked in with M'gann trailing behind him, the two sharing smiling looks. Winn spun around in his chair, swiping the screen up to transport its contents onto the bigger monitor.

"Meet Cadmus. Our momentary ally and now, apparently, they're back to being our mortal enemy," Winn said.

Kara scrunched her face in confusion. "Cadmus? What do they have to do with this?"

"Well, there have been reports in Metropolis of a female with pyrokinetic abilities raving on about how much she hates Cadmus." Winn pointed at Kara with the tablet. "Your cousin actually defeated her and put her on a deserted island for a while."

Alex bit her lip. "She obviously escaped." She squinted her eyes in thought. "Or maybe someone found her and let her go."

Kara nodded, turning to look at her sister. "Yeah. Before she set the whole buidling on my head, she mentioned that she had a new boss." She shrugged. "That might be who let her go. I'll fly to Metropolis later today and ask Kal about it. He has to know something about our mystery woman."

Winn grinned. "Yeah. Unfortunately, since her previous employer was Cadmus, she has no background for me to check. They wiped the system and deleted all traces of her existence. However, I have a theory on her powers that might keep you from getting yourself killed the next time the time of you go at it and fight again," he said.

The four of them walked towards Winn's computer screen and looked over his shoulder. "Her manipulation of fire is based and controlled by her cerebrum. The link between her powers and mind are key to defeating her." Winn turned around and handed Kara a small device. "Place this near her and it will cause the muscles in her temple to contract and damage the nerves temporarily. It will be interpreted by the brain as if the brain itself is in pain and, essentially, give her a severe headache causing her to pass out. She won't be able to concentrate on controlling her powers and the link between fire and her mind will be broken."

J'onn studied the device critically. "Won't that make her powers more erratic?"

Winn grimaced. "There's a slight chance that until she passes out, her brain will give off bursts of psychic energy, igniting the things around her."

Kara's eyes widened. "That's kind of a big deal, Winn. Are you certain that her powers are caused psychically?"

He shrugged his shoulders, worrying Kara more. "I'm 80% sure, but if it is a psychic link, then I am certain this device will work."

Kara smiled and nodded, giving Winn a quick hug before walking out, Alex right behind her. "Hey, Kara! Before you fly to Metropolis we need to talk."

Kara cringed inwardly, desperately wanting to avoid their heart-to-heart. Seeing no verbal disagreement, Alex dragged her sister into the AI room they had constructed at the new DEO site. The two sat down opposite of each other, and continued in the awkward silence. Alex looked towards her sister who was staring at her lap, her fingers intertwined. Alex took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could start, alarms blared across the whole building causing both girls to cover their ears. Kara smiled at Alex and the two hopped up to find out what caused the distress. The two found the monitors lit up with a few red dots covering the city of Metropolis, and Winn furiously typing.

"J'onn?" Kara asked, slightly unnerved. "What's going on?"

"We have multiple hostiles in Metropolis. All of them are powered individuals and according to the reports, they seem to be working together."

The group exchanged looks and Alex asked the question they all had on their mind. "Who's there?"

"We believe our suspect is there, along with Siobhan, a man by the name of Scarecrow, and Livewire," J'onn responded, causing a mass of angered voices to rise in volume.

"How did they get out of prison?" Winn asked, terrified at what the group might do to the population of Metropolis.

"I don't know. No one seems to know. They were there one second and not the next." J'onn turned and made eye contact with Kara. "You need to go and help you cousin. He's going to need it."

Kara gave a grim smile and took to the air after some of the world's most dangerous criminals. The wind slapped against her face as she pushed herself past her top speed, eager to put an end to the horror these criminals were causing. She called Kal through her ear piece hoping to gather information on how the situation was progressing. She was sent to voicemail and the dial tone implored her to fly faster. Kara finally saw the city come into view and landed beside her cousin who was fending off Livewire.

Kal-El turned around, surprised, and gave Kara a saddened smile. "What is going on?" He asked, understandably upset.

"I don't know. J'onn just said that they're working together. We don't have motive."

Kal grabbed Kara's arm and turned her towards him. "You take this electric woman and Volcana, and I'll take Scarecrow and the screamer."

Kara handed him a small circular device. "I took this from the DEO. It's already linked to mine and Winn also modified it to dampen the effects of Banshee's sonic scream."

Kal nodded and Kara barreled into Livewire who had been momentarily stunned by the two Kryptonians. Livewire disappeared in a fizzle of electricity and traveled through the electric wires on the side of the road. Kara tried to anticipate where she would land but was thrown back by a fireball. The woman stumbled to her feet and took Winn's device pressing the button on the side. The woman fell to her knees in pain, and the fires slowly dissipated. Relieved, Kara sighed and watched as she crumpled to the ground is a heap of black and red. Kara turned to find Livewire but was hit by a continuous line of electricity. Falling backwards, Kara locked eyes with the former radio broadcaster, Leslie Willis.

"Well hi there, Supergirl," Leslie said, drawing out the last word. "It's been a while. Last time I saw you, you let me go." She smiled, striking Kara with a stronger bolt of electricity, causing her to scream in pain. "I want you to know that I'm really going to enjoy this. My new friends are very accepting when it comes to hurting you. You see, a lot of them hate you. Unfortunately, they need you alive, so that rules out killing." She snapped her fingers in disappointment. "Oh well. This will have to do." Leslie raised her hands.

* * *

Kal had never seen anything like this. Villains so organized and coherent. It was unheard of. The criminals he fought were reckless, constantly throwing themselves in danger without thinking through the consequences. There was always the occasional person who was a little more put together than the rest, coming up with psychotic master plans that had led him to make stupid mistakes. He even had some that required a more analytical approach instead of the punch first motto that he seemed to live by, provoking a team up between the masked vigilante and himself, but never had he seen something as terrible as this. He was thankful to have his cousin by his side in this fight, but he wished he had a team of his own that could counter this organized group of individuals. The woman with the scream, Banshee as Kara had christened her, threw a punch that he easily dodged. He jabbed the woman in the chin, her body flying into the air and landing back down more than five feet away. Clark turned towards the older man before him who raised his hands in defeat. Clark narrowed his eyebrows and was caught off guard when a gas sprayed him in the face, blinding him for a second. He rubbed his eyes and was surprised to see the man had disappeared. Confused, he rubbed his face and saw Livewire standing over Kara. His eyes lit up, but he stopped when he saw a black piece of metal fly towards the woman. It exploded into a bola, wrapping around the platinum haired villain and causing her to fall over. His eyes tracked another piece of metal that embedded itself in her skin and knocked her out.

A black suited man swung from a nearby building and landed next to Clark. His mask covered most of his face and a black bat symbol was centered in the middle of his chest. Clark offered his hand to the man who shook it.

"Bruce. I'm glad you came." Clark said, grateful.

"I had to. One of my villains was tormenting your city." He said in his deep, raspy voice. The two walked over to Supergirl who was beginning to stand up. She took one glance at the mysterious figure in front of her and raised an eyebrow at her cousin.

"This must be that vigilante."

Bruce nodded his head and offered his hand for her to shake. "I am. It is nice to meet you, Kara Danvers. You've saved this world more times than should be necessary. It's an honor."

The blonde's eyes widened as she turned to look at Kal who raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't tell him."

"Perhaps we could go somewhere a little less open to discuss everything," Bruce suggested as the police arrived to cart the crumbled bodies to the metahuman jails. The other two nodded and Clark grabbed Bruce, the three of them flying to a deserted location. They landed and Kara stood, underwhelmed, staring at the waterfall in front of them.

"Here?" she asked, skeptically. "In front of a waterfall?"

Clark gave her a soft smile as the water parted, and the rock wall in front of them began to retract, opening a large entrance. She couldn't see anything except darkness when the three stepped inside the long corridor. The rock doors closed behind them, and a bright light illuminated the space around them. The place was astounding as if it had been carved by hand with delicate care. The ceiling was high above where they were, opening up a large space, preventing any feelings of claustrophobia despite being in a cave. Cars decked with mounted guns and missiles lined the walkway beside them. She could see several platforms with walkways extending in cardinal directions from the center of it. In the middle of it all was a circular platform with a painted bat in the center. Kara couldn't help but gasp at the intricate architectural design that it must have taken to create such a place.

Batman led the two Kryptonians to the supercomputer he kept near the front of the cave. They began their walk with Kara turning every so often to gawk at another piece of advanced technology and design.

"I see you're impressed," Batman said to Kara, abandoning the use of his masking voice.

She nodded, clearly in awe of his headquarters. "I don't know what to say. This is absolutely amazing! I have never seen anything like this. The only other thing that might be able teo rival it in architectural beauty is the Fortress of Solitude. Wow. How did you get the money for this?"

He gave her a small grin. "I'm a billionaire." Kara's mouth dropped and she looked at him with newfound respect. "Wow. That's...impressive."

"I can give you the tour later. We need to sort through this mess and figure out why these villains are suddenly uniting against us," Bruce said.

The two nodded at him as he brought up mug shots of the four villains that had made an appearance. "We have Leslie Willis, a former shock jock for CatCo Worldwide Media before gaining powers through a mutated lightning strike."

"She goes by Livewire," Kara inputted. Bruce signed and continued.

"Then we have Siobhan Smythe, former assistant to Cat Grant before displaying powers after a fall from a rooftop. The cause for the powers is unknown, but there is an old Irish legend of a banshee spirit that contains intriguing parallels to Smythe's condition. Then we have a Dr. Jonathan Crane. Former psychologist and professor before exhibiting insane tendencies and being driven to a breaking point. He perfected a fear toxin that often locks its victims in a paralyzing fear hallucination. It's a severe combination of MDMA and LSD. It pries on detected fear and enhances it to a dangerous level. Some people are exposed and die of heart failure from the exertion of the heart due to fear and go into cardiac arrest. He is a very dangerous man with vast knowledge on how to manipulate people."

Clark narrowed his eyes in confusion. "But I was sprayed and not affected."

"It's quite possible that your Kryptonian DNA shielded you from any effects that they gas might otherwise have on regular human."

Both Kara and Clark looked at each other in relief. Both already had reoccurring nightmares that came from being the survivors of their planet and were glad they were immune to the effects of nightmare inducing gas. It was sickening knowing that someone found sadistic joy in revealing and exploiting the fears of people. They shared a look. They definitely needed to catch whoever employed this man before he did found other psychos to work for him.

"But you still need to be careful. Your weakness, unfortunately, is the world's worst kept secret on the planet and could be used in formulating a new gas."

"What do you mean, Bruce?" Clark asked, concerned for himself and cousin.

"Crane could potentially grind the Kryptonite into a powder and mix it in with the hallucinogenic. That would allow the fear toxin to penetrate the Kryptonian body and absorb into bloodstream," Bruce explained. "Now the last person was a woman in my records only known as Volcana." He tapped the keys trying to extract any information on his system about the pyrokinetic woman with bright red hair.

Clark nodded. "I actually put her on a deserted island. We came to an agreement, and she revealed some information to me."

Kara stared at her cousin, surprised. "What'd she say?"

"She said her name was Claire Selton. She was sent to the Metropolis Center for Paranormal Studies by her parents at an early age with hopes of helping her learn to control her powers. However, she taken by government agents who," he said pointing to Kara, "was revealed to be Cadmus. It was them who erased any background she had and gave her a new identity as Volcana. They hoped to make her some contingency plan in case we had to be taken down. That way they had complete control over a powerful metahuman." He bit his lip. "But I don't know how she got off the island I put her on."

Bruce motioned to them and pointed at the monitor, turning their attention to the four profiles on the screen. "The only common factor between these four individuals is that they had all been incarcerated prior to them working together." He slammed his hands on the desk in anger. "I don't know who the hell would be capable of uniting four self-driven individuals!" he yelled, rubbing his face. "I just can't shake the feeling that this is much bigger than we're thinking," Bruce said, pulling the cowl of his suit off his head. "If they have more people than that. If they have stronger people, we don't even stand a chance."

Large beeping interrupted their conversation and they turned their attention to the monitor that was now flashing red. Bruce hurried over and began typing, trying to isolate the cause of the disturbance. He frowned at the screen. "I'm picking up major energy readings in National City. They're growing by the second."

Kara glanced at the males, having a vague sense of what might be emitting such large energy signatures. "I've got this." Clark grabbed her arm.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come and back you up?" He said, worried. He had already seen her beaten, even by his own hand, and despised that he couldn't be there for her every moment of his life.

Kara gave him a gentle smile and embraced her, in her mind, younger cousin. "Don't worry, Kal. I have a good idea of what's coming. I don't think I'm in any danger. Stay here with the brooding bat over there and keep watch over this city. I've got mine."

She winked at him and exited the dark cave, fully appreciating the sunlight. Flying a little over Mach 3, Kara arrived in National City 45 minutes later, seeing a glowing blue-white whirling circle growing in the middle of plaza. She stepped towards the growing breach, her eyes on fire. She pressed her finger to her ear.

"Kal. What are the energy signatures like?" She asked.

"They've been fluctuating ever since you left almost an hour ago. Bruce and I can't seem to determine when the breach will actually open."

"That's alright. I don't think it'll be too long," she said, slightly excited. She remembered the first time Barry Allen came barreling into her universe and "saved" her life. He was intriguing, and his sunny smile seemed to enhance her own optimistic demeanor. Kara had always found herself wishing he had stayed longer and had practically bounced off the walls from happiness when he came into her life again, even asking for her help. Now with the mysterious breach opening for the third time, she was both terrified and ecstatic at what she hoped was her friend coming through the breach. Of course there was always a chance that whatever was traveling through might be hostile, but she trusted her instincts.

The breach pulsed and she barely saw the red blur speed out of the portal. Surprised and caught off guard, she felt the man sweep her off her feet and tackle her to the ground. Kara felt he breeze of something fly over the two of them, and she quickly pushed the scarlet speedster off of her and stood up. In front of her she saw a man, his eyes lit up in a similar fashion to hers. Next to him was someone sporting a leather jacket, the collar flipped up and his hair parted to the side. His hands were spread, causing the sky to darken in color. Another man jumped out of the breach before it closed, wearing a suit and a blue tie. His hair was slicked up and eyes narrowed in a grim smile.

The Flash sped to her side and turned to look at Kara, worry painting his face. "I was too late."


	4. Chapter 4- Earth 1

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I'm so excited to write this! I have so many ideas!. I hope that y'all will stick with me through this journey. I love Supergirl, and I love the Flash. I especially love the actors and actresses that are on the show. I always thought that Barry and Kara would make a serious power couple, but who knows? I'm still playing around with some ideas, so I hope you'll stick with me while I figure that part out. I think that these chapters I've been writing have been getting progressively longer, so if at any time you want me to shorten them, I will try my hardest to, but I've been inactive for a while and I might not be able to post new chapters for a bit, so I guess this will hold y'all over. It's the longest one so far. Last chapter we left off on a bit of a cliffhanger so bear with me. This chapter's going to go back a little in time and explain what's been happening with Barry and Team Flash. Now without further delay, let's go!

 **Chapter 4**

 **Earth-1**

 **One Day Prior**

Barry Allen was tired. Quite the understatement, but between Savitar and jumping through time, he couldn't help but feel the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders and, effectively, making him feel exhausted. For months he had worried and plotted, trying to come up with anything that might help him defeat the god of speed, and he had almost failed. He did fail. The echoing theme of the past few years rang in his mind, but this time seemed to be slightly different. He wasn't fast enough and now Tracy Brand was suffering because of it; the whole team was suffering because of it. He felt guilty that he was glad it was H.R. and not Iris. He felt terrible, and the shame was practically eating the man alive. H.R. offered a different perspective that Team Flash had needed. A new light. At the beginning of this venture, the team was lighter, less weighted by the darkness of the world, but now Barry found himself relating to Oliver Queen. He wasn't able to fight the darkness without a little of it touching him. The losses piled up, and he was sure that Iris's death would have been the one to throw him over the edge and into the mindset of Oliver and then Savitar. He thought that he was reminding the team of how they should be by trying to help the broken version of himself, but it was a naïve attempt at compassion. Yes, they did help overthrow the inner Killer Frost battle that raged in Caitlin, but it seemed more like they were delaying the inevitable.

The truth was that the more he found himself embracing the darkness, the more he longed for the happy blonde he knew in a different universe. It unnerved him that it wasn't Iris that he longed for, but Kara, the woman who endured so much but still found it in her heart to have genuine compassion and love towards those who hated her. The fact of the matter was that Iris didn't bring out the best in him. He found himself being a worse person than when he was around Kara. The two superheroes complimented each other in a way that made the other better. Barry knew Iris had a vague sense of their issues when he had only proposed to change the future. Sure, he did remedy that and propose later with a more sincere feeling to it, but he knew that he never really felt that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He loved her, and he doubted there would be a time where he didn't, but recently he had begun to wonder if that was just a normal sisterly love that he felt. The two practically grew up together in the same house and though they weren't blood related, Barry always had lingering thoughts in the back of his mind that seemed to scream at him that it was a little strange. The drama between the two of them, and yes there was definitely drama, had endured so much over the last few years, and Barry wondered if it had just become a game for them. Eddie had loved Iris and Barry found himself hating that he tried to intervene between the two of them. He hated that Eddie had died, and in the wake of that heartbreak the two got together. It just felt _wrong_.

He laid his head in his hands, his elbows rested on his knees. Of course it did. They were practically siblings. A week after Iris killed Savitar, the couple had drifted apart more and more, finally able to relax after the swirling feelings that had risen during that stressful period. Their emotions seemed to cool and settle, making it easier for them to digest their thoughts. Iris had said she wanted to postpone the wedding a little longer, and Barry had raced back to take back the invitations he had rushed off to send. With each passing day, he wondered if their 'break' was going to lead to a breaking off of the engagement and relationship as a whole. What scared the man was that he felt relieved whenever he thought about it.

Once again, his mind drifted back to beautiful Kryptonian that seemed to occupy most of his thoughts recently. It seemed like a blessing if they could ever see each other again and possibly turn into something more. He wouldn't have to worry about psychos like Savitar because Kara was indestructible. Untouchable with bulletproof skin and speed second only to him.

Barry shook his head. It was ridiculous. As much as his heart yearned for her, he knew Kara loved Mon-El. He knew it months ago when the handsome man had shown up with her in his arm, unconscious. He had faked a smile as he talked with Mon-El, weeding through the complications of their relationship. To be frank, he thought he had died and was taken to heaven when he woke up to Kara's song. He had wished that they might stay there forever without any Savitars or villains to hinder his chance at a happy life. But it was a dream. A dream that he thought about often, wondering if Kara felt the same way he did.

Barry sighed. It was too late. She was with Mon-El. Strangely, that didn't seem to change any of his feelings about Iris. It was time. He needed to break it off. He wanted to become a better person without this lingering selfishness that had presided over him for the past year. Barry knew that Iris deserved better, and he wanted more. The truth was that the minute the lightning struck him, Barry lost any chance with Iris. He was just different. They didn't fit together the way a couple should, and that was purely fate. His road was down a different path than Iris and it was time the both of them continued down their own paths.

He walked into S.T.A.R labs, a coffee in his hands. It still stung that H.R. didn't bring them. He had an uncanny ability to bring the exact coffee he wanted, and it had been severely underappreciated. Barry set his coffee on the table, and sped into his costume. Wanting to be alone with his thoughts, Barry ran the city, letting wind blow and calm him. He must have been running for an hour before Cisco broke into his com.

"Yo, buddy," he said, confused to why Barry would be running at this hour, "what are you doing?"

"Just running. I needed to clear my head."

Cisco nodded, absorbing the information. He knew that Barry and Iris were having problems and wanted to be there for his best friend. "Alright, well, you have a metahuman downtown, if you aren't too busy clearing your head. Weather Wizard. Somehow he got out the prison that was holding him, and now his wrecking our city."

Barry rolled his eyes. Mark Mardon just did not stop. He sped by S.T.A.R labs and picked up the weather wand that Cisco had created. The citizens of Central City barely saw him zoom in between the buildings and cars as he chased after Mardon. He stopped four feet in front of the man, his hands holding the metal wand.

"Mardon! Don't you ever get tired of doing the same thing over and over? I mean, you've tried the same thing like five times now." He stepped closer. "Just give it up. You've already lost."

Mardon smiled and lifted his hands creating a small storm, the clouds darkening and rain starting to pour. Barry dropped his head. "Sometimes," he whispered to himself, annoyed. "It's almost as if they enjoy going to prison."

He barely had time to lift the wand before he felt someone punch him in the jaw. His body tensed as he fell to the ground, looking up at a man with metal skin. He blinked, trying to reason what he was seeing. It wasn't possible. Blackout killed him almost three years ago when Harrison Wells used him to as a distraction. He slowly rose to his feet putting his hands out in a gesture of peace.

"Tony?" he said, distraught at the sudden turn of events. He sighed internally. This was going to be a long day. His brain calculated several different scenarios, each one offering a more confusing answer than the last.

The metal man only smiled, raising his fist to hit Barry again. He super speeded out of the way, pressing his hand against his ear. "Uh, Cisco. Big problem. Somehow Girder's back again and he's helping Mardon."

"What?!" he said, standing up in his chair. "That's not possible!" He groaned. "Not again," Cisco said, remembering when the whole team nearly died from a zombie Girder. It was a pure miracle that Barry arrived just in time to save them all.

Barry threw a jab at Tony's face, breaking his knuckles on his cheek. Shaking his hand out, he reverted back to only dodging. "Where's Wally? I need him to distract Girder while I attempt to do a supersonic punch."

Cisco threw his hands down on the table. "No one's here, man! Team Flash is now two members! Wally's on Earth-2 visiting Jesse, Julian's still out trying to find Caitlin, and Harry is nowhere to be seen." He rubbed his face. "I have an idea. His cells have to continually adapting in order to change from penetrable to an impenetrable metal. Fluctuating between densities means that his cells are constantly moving and changing. They'd have to be hyper active all the time. All we have to do is stop that process from happening. To do that you would have to slow them down."

"I don't like where this is going, Cisco," Barry said, concerned. He dodged another punch, and turned towards where Mardon was coaxing the lightning to strike several parts of the city.

"I know, Bar. You can either get him high with alcohol, try a supersonic punch, or spray him with liquid nitrogen. The nitrogen will make the metal brittle and breakable, allowing you to shatter the metal," Cisco said, already anticipating his answer.

"That'll shatter his arm!" he exclaimed!

"We don't have much options here, buddy! It's just the two of us!" I'm working on miniaturizing a power dampener, but until then!" Cisco said.

"Wait. We're thinking too hard," Barry said, a semblence of a plan arousing his mind. "I could just throw a bolt of lightning at him. Metal is a natural conductor, and it will paralyze his cells, forcing him to return to his natural state."

Cisco slapped his forehead. "You're right!"

Barry ran in a circle, his speed building with each second until he had a solid line of light trailing behind him. Reaching back, he grabbed the bolt and flung it towards Tony. The man crumbled to ground, his skin returning to its natural shade of pink. He walked over to the limp body and punched him in the face, making certain that he was out. He turned around, seeing Cisco step out of one of his breaches, goggles and all. The shorter man extended his arm towards Mardon and transported him back to his metahuman cell. The two high fived, and Cisco crouched next to the muscle built man on the ground.

"How the hell did he come back?" he asked, turning to Barry. He shrugged.

"I don't know, Cisco. We should take him back to S.T.A.R. first." The two shared a look of agreement and met back at the lab.

Barry had called Joe and Iris, and the four stood in front of the glass cell where Girder sat, sitting smugly in the corner. Barry couldn't explain it, but something about his was different. The Tony he knew was just...different than the one that sat in front of them now. This one had a harder face, hair parted the opposite way, and that smug smile. It was almost as if he was observing them to see what they'd do. Barry couldn't help but feel unnerved as if they weren't even in control of the situation. Something was off and it was bothering him to no end.

"How are you here, Tony?" he started, his mind still racing through the different possibilities.

His grin faded, and he stood up. "You don't know? Wow, Flash. Things really are different."

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, feeling the same as Barry.

"Well, I just need to give someone some money. Turns out they were right." The man walked forward until his body was just inches from being completely pressed up against the glass. "I had a mission. I completed that mission. That's all you get to know." He smiled, touching the tip of his finger against the glass and pointing to Barry. "You always thought you were so smart. I can't wait for you to meet my new friend."

Barry zipped over to the glass case that held his childhood bully. He slammed his hands against the surface of the jail and curled his fingers into a fist. His eyes hardened as he stared at the man in front of him. Something had changed in his foe and it scared him. The man was more certain of himself, as if he was dictating everything that happened ever since Barry Allen laid eyes on him. It was concerning. No...it was terrifying. He couldn't deal with another Savitar. Not now.

"I want you to tell me everything!" Barry yelled. He was sick of these villains. They consumed his time, and they took everything that he held dear to himself. It was rewarding to save people. The gratitude in their eyes, the fact that he had just saved someone from suffering the same fate that he did was a feeling that could not be explained, but the consequences to those who got close to him was beginning to alter how he viewed his work. He was starting to think he did more harm than good.

Tony smiled and turned away. "No. But I will tell you this," he said, spinning around to face the furious man. "I hope you got to know that blonde while you could."

Barry's eyes widened, and his body began vibrating, shocking everyone in the room. He smacked the button next to the cell and entered Tony's prison. His fist vibrating slightly, the man smashed his hand against Tony's nose making him stumble backwards. He clutched his nose, blood running down his face.

"What did you say?" Barry said, his whole body tensing and lingering on each word. He felt his blood boil more than when Savitar had threatened Iris. He couldn't let the sunny blonde he knew suffer. He couldn't allow it.

Tony chuckled even despite the pain. He knew exactly how to manipulate the man in front of him. "You heard what I said." He leaned forward until his mouth was right next to his ear. "She's a pretty one, and honestly I'm surprised. I always thought your heart would be Iris's. Poor her. Did you notice? She's not even wearing her engagement ring anymore. Guess it won't be that hard for her to swallow. What was her name again? Oh yeah! Kara. Beautiful, blonde, strong Kara. She's had a rough year, and I guess it's going to get harder. Did you know that she has a weakness? A green rock. It's cellular makeup is quite fascinating. I was never one for science, you know that, but even I knew this rock was special. I wonder if she'll be dead quickly or if they'll just poison her with it." He smiled. "Guess we'll find out."

Barry grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall, his face centimeters from his. Kicking his knees to the side, Tony fell to the ground with Barry hovering over him. Tony could see the barely restricted anger in Barry's eyes and felt uneasy for the first time since he had been shoved in the cell. It was a look he had seen several times before someone was decidedly put on the losing side of a fight.

"You'd better tell me who you are working for, when you plan on attacking her, and how you know everything that I've ever thought," Barry said through gritted teeth.

Tony just winked at him, infuriating the man. Before he could attack him again, Joe pulled him off while Cisco closed the door to the cell. They met back up in the main room and the group sat in silence as they thought on the past few minutes, and Barry's reaction to the whole ordeal. They had never seem him lose his cool in front of someone as much as they had just then. They were shocked.

Iris walked over to Barry and laid her hand on his forearm, offering him a consoling smile. "I think it's time we talked."

She had seen the signs. She knew they were drifting and as much as she had wanted to spend her life with him, situations had changed. The Savitar issue had been resolved, and she finally had time to catch her breath and think over the idea of marriage. She loved Barry, but many of her feelings mirrored that of his. They would be friends, but she wanted a better life for him. One with someone who he had more in common with. She could never hold her own with these people with super powers, and who were geniuses that solved some of the world's hardest problems. Their lives were vastly different, and it was time for her to accept that. Iris admitted that she got a thrill from hanging around these people who saved the world. She could even admit that she was jealous. She wanted to be able to do the things they did. Hell, even her brother had superpowers. Regardless, she couldn't pretend to be one of them anymore. She had to make her own path.

The two walked in silence into the speed lab where they stood in front of each other, sorrow in the eyes. Years of history. Years of friendship. Years of what they thought could be a happy life together. All the years of heartbreak, confusion, love, and engagement, coming to an end right then. It was bittersweet. They knew the would keep in touch but things would just be different.

"So," Iris started, unsure of how to proceed with the conversation.

"So," he repeated, pushing his hands further into his pockets. They both locked eyes at the same time, both seeing the same emotions mirroring their own. They could see what should have been said, and they knew that they were both thinking the same thing, only too afraid to speak it out loud.

"I love you, Iris West." Barry said. There was nothing else to say. They knew how the other felt. They had known for a while now.

Iris walked to him, giving him a small hug. "I love you too, Barry Allen." She grabbed his hand, and opened it up. Smiling with tears skimming her eyes, she pressed the ring he had given her twice into his hand. Folding his fingers over the piece of metal, she lifted up onto her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Barry, I hope you find someone as special as you are." She stepped backwards. "You deserve it after everything you've been through."

He nodded his head towards her. "I hope you find someone as great as you are." He took a deep breath and let it out. "Where are you going to go?"

She shrugged. "I don't know yet. I'm going to go until something stops me. I want to find my own way." She bit her lip, meeting eyes with Barry. "Do me a favor?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Find someone. Find someone to be there for you and support you while you fight these villains. Don't turn into Savitar. If it's that blonde Tony was talking about or someone else, it doesn't really matter. Just find someone who doesn't hold you back. Someone who just makes you a better person," she pleaded.

Giving her a sad smile, the two wrapped their arms around each other one last time, and she walked out, saying goodbye to her father before leaving the building. Barry sighed again and looked at the ring in his palm. He would find someone. He just to make sure she didn't die.

Zooming into the cortex, Barry stared at the shocked faces on his friends' faces. His eyes shifted to monitor that showed the room where he and Iris had talked. His winced and turned to Joe whose face held no emotion. He merely met eyes with Barry and gave him a tired smile as if to say that he understood.

"Hey, Bar. Woodward was whispering to you. What did he say that got you all riled up? He mentioned a blonde," Joe questioned, genuinely intrigued at what would bother him so badly.

Barry rubbed his eyes and rested his hands on the back of his neck, massaging it. "He was talking about Kara."

Cisco popped his head up to stare at his friend. He admitted that Kara was like no one he had ever met, refreshingly optimistic and hopeful despite her past. She was bubbly and beautiful, unique in her way. What impressed him most wasn't her powers, although they were awesome, it was her ability to remain a good person and strong in her ideas even through the toughest circumstances. She always sacrificed for everyone else, and her loyalty was eternal. She was willing to travel dimensions at the drop of a hat just because Barry had asked. However, the conversation between Girder and the group had started to alter how he thought, making him believe that the reason she came wasn't just because she was loyal to a friend who helped her out a few months prior.

"What about Kara?" he asked, worried for his new friend.

Barry groaned, letting his hands drop from his neck. He was terrified for Kara. "Apparently, Kara has a weakness. A green rock or something."

Both men's eyes enlarged in surprise at the new information. "Weakness? That's kinda vague. Are we talking like power dampening weakness or like kill her when she's near it kinda thing? Cisco asked, disturbed.

"I don't know! He needs to tell us something! I can't just sit here wondering if she's okay!" Barry yelled, making the two men in front of him flinch at the raise in volume. They could both tell how upset their friend was and frankly, they were almost as angry as he was. They just couldn't imagine a person who would ever want to hurt such an outgoing, bubbly, joyful person.

Joe held up his hands, trying to calm his son. "Hey, it'll be alright! We'll try talking to Woodward again. Okay?"

Barry opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by his phone. He excused himself from the room, turning the phone around to show the Caller ID to his friends.

"Oliver? What's wrong?" He said, immediately on guard.

"Barry, I need your help," Oliver replied, his voice tense. "There's a couple metahumans here."

Barry narrowed his eyes. "No offense, Oliver, but isn't this something you can handle? I'm having a bit of a problem here."

"Normally, yes. However, one of them metahuman's supposed to be dead, and now he's demanding to see the Flash." Barry heard a crash in the background. "Barry, if you don't get here fast, he's going to blow up this whole city."

"I'll be right there." Barry zoomed into his costume, slipping his com into his ear.

Barry was on edge running to Star City. Oliver Queen was always the calm, collected mentor that he could always turn to. There didn't seem to be anything that he wasn't able to do. Even before obtaining his powers, Barry had looked towards the Arrow when everyone else had viewed him as some sort of cruel mass murder with a god complex. He taught him to cover each inch of a crime scene and not rush in blind to a potentially hazardous battle that could endanger innocent civilians. Nevertheless, Barry did fight on a different front then his friend. They dealt more with psychos that approached fights in a more methodical way, taking their time and analyzing the situation as Oliver often did while Barry dealt with crazy superpowered metahumans that chose to use their powers for nefarious purposes.

These thoughts drove Barry to move faster, realizing that this could possibly be a large setup that could potentially kill Kara. He arrived at the Arrow Cave, Felicity directing him towards where Oliver was. He zipped beside his friend who was watching as a metahuman set buildings on fire, shooting lasers out of his eyes. The other was trapping innocent civilians into mirrors.

The men shouted the residents of the city. "Bring us the Flash!"

Oliver turned towards his friend who nodded and ran to meet the crazed psychopaths. They halted their attack on the city and turned to smile at the red suited masked man in front of them. Sam Scudder looked as if he hadn't just been imprisoned in Iron Heights and the other hardly looked as if he had just rose from the dead. The situation was perplexing, and Barry was determined to solve whatever plan this was and save Kara.

He sauntered up to the odd couple of villains, projecting his usual confidence. "You know, if you wanted to see me, you could have just come to my city instead of attacking this innocent one."

They laughed. "Sure, we could have. But we thought it would be best if you saw what we were capable of doing. We won't just attack your city."

Barry's eyes hardened, his anger boiling by the minute. "What do you want?"

Scudder pulled a green rock from his jacket, holding it up for Barry to see. "This gem is fascinating. We just wanted you to see what was going to kill her." He leaned forward. "We know you were wondering if it would just take her powers away or kill her on the spot. Lucky for us, it's both."

Barry sped forward grabbing the arm that held the radioactive rock. He whispered into his com and an arrow whizzed past both of their hands, hitting the rock and sending it ten feet away.

A blast of energy hit him in the side, knocking him off balance and slamming him into the ground. Jake Simmons eyes glowed as he looked at the fallen man. "Better hurry up, Flash. She's running out of time."

Barry pushed from off the ground and practically flew into both men, throwing them back several feet. He blinked and was confused to see Mark Mardon standing not five feet from where Barry was. He already had a storm blowing and lightning striking the ground in several places. The wind churned, whipping things everywhere and blowing all the arrows Oliver shot off course.

* * *

Oliver was furious. It had only been a couple months since the last terrorist had wreaked havoc on his city and nearly killed his son. It was as if he couldn't have a break. He wished he could have had a little time for him and his team to regather their thoughts and recover since the last incident with Adrian Chase.

What a fool he was to think that was even possible.

He saw the pain in Barry Allen's eyes and wondered if he had failed. Oliver had always tried to shield those around him from the baggage that came from crossing the line. He had seen Diggle cross it, Felicity crossed it, and now Barry was close to doing the same thing. It hurt to not be able to take the responsibilities for everyone and guard them from the darkness that had plagued him for most of his life. He recently found out that the darkness could be controlled and he could keep it from dictating every decision he made. He proved that with Prometheus. He didn't kill him. It was a step in the direction that he had always wanted to go, ever since Felicity convinced him that it was even possible.

Looking at Barry, he saw the trepidation that colored his face, and he knew that that fear came from knowing he couldn't save a loved one.

Such is the pain of a hero.

Every day they saved lives, but they somehow failed to do that for the ones they loved most. Laurel, Tommy, and Shado for him. They were his motivation. They died believing in him, and they died fighting for what was right. Their regard for their life was outweighed for their care for the world. It was a noble legacy, and one he was proud to carry on. If he was to die in this line of work, he would go out like them.

Barry had lost too. He was no stranger to the unofficial curse that was wrapped around him as soon as he put on the mask. Ronnie and Eddie. Painful memories on how cruel fate can be to those who are dedicated to fighting the good fight.

Seeing that look in Barry's face now made Oliver wish he could share some of the weight that was on Barry shoulders. He didn't know who was in the crosshairs of fate this time, but he knew it was someone Barry loved deeply. He could see it in his face.

With the wind blowing his arrows of course and at such an inconsistent rate, Oliver abandoned the idea and ziplined down to try to help his friend. He headed for the man who was controlling the weather. Running towards him, he kicked the man's knee from beneath him, making him crumple to the ground. Mardon twisted around and attempted a hit at Oliver's chest. He blocked it easily but dove out of the way to avoid being struck by lightning. Groaning, he struggled to his feet, and threw a flechette at Mardon. It embedded itself in his thigh and Mardon screamed in pain. Losing control of the weather around him, the sky began to lighten in color, and the dark clouds that hovered around the area quickly dissipated.

Barry saw the change in the sky and was thankful Oliver was here. Staring at the two men at his feet, they moaned and tilted their heads back up to look at the Flash. Barry felt the warning bells go off in his head when he saw the two smiling up at him.

"You lose, Flash," they said laughing. "Your pretty friend is dead now. You did realize this was a distraction, right?"

Barry's eyes widened, and he pressed his hand to his ear. "Cisco! I need you to vibe here and open a portal to Earth-38 right now! Kara's in danger!"

Cisco scrambled from his seat and quickly put his goggles and gauntlets on. Raising his hand, he step into his newly formed portal and appeared next to Barry. Nodding at each other, he raised his hand once more, feeling the familiar vibrations of the earth. The breach opened, and Barry zipped in, not waiting for him. Before he could stop them, Simmons and Mardon jumped through the portal. Turning to Oliver, he saw the man imprisoned in a mirror, banging on the inside of the glass. Cisco turned and saw Mirror Master in front of him. He lifted his hand to defend himself but was hit in the head, everything going dark.

Barry had one thought in his mind. Save Kara. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know who was behind this. He felt like he was being played the whole time, only a small pawn in a bigger game of chess, but the only clear thought in his mind blinded him to the importance of finding out the answers to those questions. He vaguely felt someone behind him and saw Kara on the other side. Hundreds of thoughts running through his brain at once, he looked at the perplexed look on the blonde's face. Making a split second decision, he dove at her, picking her up, and throwing the woman to the ground.

His hair stood on end when a blast of heat traveled over the two of them. Kara pushed him off of her and stood up, facing the two that had apparently followed him. Barry saw the breach begin to close and Scudder jump out of it before it did. He scrambled to his feet and faced the Girl of Steel.

"I was too late," he said, cursing himself for letting the three of them follow him through the breach.

He saw a faint green rock protruding out of Scudder's jacket, and his eyes widened, realizing what had just happened. Before he could speed to him and take it, Scudder twisted around and threw the green rock, being caught by Livewire who transported back into the electrical currents and disappeared.

Kara frowned at Barry. "What the hell?! I just put her back in jail! And who are these people?"

Barry opened his mouth to respond but was hit by Simmons's plasma beams. Kara's head jerked towards Simmons and felt a sudden burst of rage. This was getting out of hand. Villains were teaming up, and the heroes were left vastly unprepared. They had no way to combat the organization that they now displayed. They were crossing lines, they had a smart leader, and now they had attacked Barry. Kara's eyes lit up in response, her body shaking from anger.

It was time to end this.


	5. Chapter 5- Regrouping

**A/N:** Hey, y'all! Thanks to all you guys for reading, commenting, favoriting, and following. It really inspires me to write a bit faster. I'm sorry I've been out of it for a while. I've had a busy past couple of days, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it. This will answer some questions on some things our favorite heroes are facing. So, let's get to it!

 **Chapter 5**

Two twin beams shot from Kara's eyes, burning brighter and stronger than they ever had. She shook from the exertion but kept a steady stream of light emitting from her eyes. She could remember the last time she had put all of her emotions into a fight. It was liberating to not hold back at all but to allow all of her power, all the solar radiation in her cells, burst out in an amazing display of power. Kara enjoyed the adrenaline rush as she pushed more and more into the lasers that burned into the skin of the villains.

Barry narrowed his eyes and zipped away to deal with the third man in a dark suit and navy tie. He sped towards Scudder and extended his arm to his side, locking his elbow. He ran into Mirror Master, the man flipping over Barry's arm and landing on his back. He moaned and sat up, his eyes seeing the vibrating hand in front of him. He raised his hands in surrender. Barry shook his head at the man and knocked him out, Scudder falling to the ground.

Mardon screamed as the heat burned into his skin, nearly melting his arm off. He grabbed his injured limb and bent over holding it to his chest. He fell to the ground as his flesh sizzled, most likely leaving him with third-degree burns. Simmons attempted to meet Kara's eyes with his own plasma beams, the two circling each other. Kara pressed more of her energy into the attack, driving her own beams of light into his face but holding back from pushing them into his skull. He flew back landing a few feet away, grasping and clawing at his eyes. The two superheroes felt someone land behind them and prepared for another attack.

Kara let out a suppressed breath, running to meet Kal and Alex. Her cousin pulled her into a hug with Alex wrapping her arms around her as well. They let go as Barry walked up to the others and waved awkwardly.

He saw the same symbol that Kara wore on her suit on the man in front of him and assumed this was her cousin she had talked about. He sized up the brunette beside her and the affectionate way she had hugged Kara. The woman had barely taken her eyes off Barry, her face hard and unreadable except for the fact that she obviously did not trust the red-suited masked man in front of her. Barry pulled his mask from over his face, letting his brown hair flow slightly in the breeze. Smiling softly, he offered his hand to Kara's cousin who shook it with a little more power than necessary, nearly crushing the bones beneath.

"Hey, my name's Barry Allen." He pointed the mess of bodies that were either unconscious or writhing on the ground. "I may have caused _some_ destruction in this city," he said, apologetically.

The man smiled and clapped Barry on the back. "It's alright. You protected my cousin and that's really all that matters to me. I'm Clark Kent."

Barry winced slightly at his words, remembering Scudder throwing the green rock that he had tried so hard to protect Kara from to Livewire. They had played to his emotions and taken advantage of the fact that he didn't think straight when it came to protecting the people he loved. Now because of his reckless behavior, Kara might actually die.

Alex recognized the guilt on Barry's face, knowing the look all too well. She couldn't help but think back to when she had killed Astra and the torn look on her sister's face. A little piece of her had died that day. She had killed before. People who she could distance herself from. Aliens who were terrorizing the city, people who were psycho maniacs, and billionaires who were threatening her sister, but she had never killed someone that took as much as an emotional pull on her than with Astra. She knew her sister's unfailing and naïve perspective on people would not allow her to kill someone, let alone someone she had once loved. It just wasn't who Kara was. Her little sister always looked for the best in people, even going out of her way to do so. She couldn't allow anyone to die who she felt had a fighting chance to live, and that attitude had even been what had saved Lena Luthor and Mon-El's life. There was no way Kara would willingly kill her aunt, and Alex had realized that as she raised the sword over her head.

She would take that burden.

It was difficult. Alex could have easily slammed the hilt of the sword into her head to knock her out or stabbed a different part of Astra's body, but she knew that Astra's radical viewpoint on how to save the world would have never allowed her to hold back. Alex knew countless more could die if she hesitated, and she couldn't take that chance. So she killed her.

Regret had immediately flooded her when Kara flew onto the scene and took in the sight of her dying aunt. The guilt was eating her alive, and she was shocked but relieved when J'onn claimed Astra's death. The disappointed and betrayed look that Kara gave J'onn would have been aimed at her, and Alex couldn't even risk a life without Kara. However, her sister's forgiving spirit and understanding personality showed Alex a different perspective on how people should be when Kara had hugged her sister. Alex's heart wrenched and struggled to believe that she could really be forgiven. She had been responsible, but she realized something just as Kara had.

Finding out that J'onn had taken the blame for Alex had immediately rendered any feelings she had previously had towards him as love for the two girls that the man had come to think of as his own daughters. It had changed Kara's viewpoint once more, and Kara realized that she didn't want to lose Alex as well. Their relationship was most important to her and anything that had happened in their life couldn't get in the way of it. She wouldn't allow it to.

Now seeing all of those same emotions in Barry's eyes, Alex prepared herself to share her hard earned wisdom with the shaken man in front of them. The amount of love Alex had seen in Mon-El's had to have been doubled in Barry. She stared at her sister and saw the same feelings in hers as well. Alex had to talk to the handsome young man and get him to share his burden with her, if only to give the two superheroes a fighting chance at a love they both deserved.

She offered her hand to Barry. "I'm Alex. Kara's sister."

He smiled at her and shook her hand. "We should get these three to a jail or something before they wake up. They've caused a lot of trouble on my earth. Then we should probably talk. I have a feeling we're going to have a lot to discuss."

A couple hours and a few coffees later, the four plus J'onn and Bruce, sat around a circular table in what Bruce called the Batcave. They had changed into civilian clothes with Kara giving Barry the clothes she had bought for him the last time he had visited their earth. The group was tired but each of them realized the importance of getting ahead of the ever-growing problem.

Kara cleared her throat and began. "So, for those of you who aren't familiar with what's been going on, there's been a sudden increase in criminal activity. Some of our worst foes have somehow broken out of prison and teamed up." She pointed at Bruce. "Bruce believes that they have a leader uniting them under one cause." She sighed. "However, we don't know who the leader is, what the cause is, or who else is involved."

"Yeah, that's more or less what's been happening on my earth too. They teamed up and we had a hell of time trying to beat them all. Frankly, they caught us at a bad time with our team fractured." His eyes lit up. "Also, they seem to have some sort of a mind reader on their side. They knew what I was thinking."

J'onn grinned. "If you have a telepath on your earth it's quite possible I might be able to cast some sort of psychic net and locate them." J'onn had been holding back on his powers, afraid of what might become of him and afraid of what people might think, but with the world ending becoming a yearly occurrence, he vowed to do what was necessary. The time to hold back had ended.

"Yes, that would help us find out more about who is running this operation," Bruce said. It bothered him that he couldn't place who the mastermind was. He had run everyone he could think of to have the necessary argument to be able to unite these individuals under one common goal and had come up empty handed. It was infuriating.

Clark sat at his side of his table deep in thought. He knew someone who might be able to pull off something this horrific, but it was impossible. Still, he couldn't take the chance that he might wrong. More innocent lives could be lost. He took a deep breath and locked eyes with Bruce. "If we have people breaking out of prisons, is it possible Lex Luthor might have escaped from his jail cell?"

Bruce shook his head, calming Clark's fears. "No. I checked and Lex Luthor is still in prison."

The table let out a sigh of relief at the news. Lex Luthor was dangerous. Perhaps the most dangerous person anyone could ever face. If anyone could bring these separate minded individuals together, it would be Lex.

Barry turned to look at Kara, the worry in his eyes coupling with his guilt. "We also have some more bad news. I think the people who have teamed up on each of our earths are working together."

Bruce leaned forward in his chair until his forearms rested on the table. "Why do you say that?"

"One of the men my team and I captured was Tony Woodward. He knew about your weaknesses. A green rock that can take away your powers and kill you. He had said that Kara was in trouble, and they were using this rock against her. I panicked and tried to save her, but Scudder and Mardon followed me through the breach my friend made. Scudder had the rock and threw it to Livewire. It's my fault. I thought you were in trouble," he said, turning to look at Kara, "and I brought the only thing that could hurt you to your earth."

Kara, Alex, Clark, and J'onn exchanged worried looks. Kryptonite had been the cause of a fallout between J'onn and Clark. The fights with Metallo had led J'onn to a mole in their facility that had been leaking information to Cadmus. After the issue had been resolved, J'onn had given the Kryptonite to Clark to do as he felt with it. Now the three looked towards the solid man beside them for answers.

"What did you do with the Kryptonite, Kal?" Kara questioned, already knowing the answer.

"I destroyed it. I didn't want anything that could hurt you...hurt me, anywhere near us. I felt it was the right thing to do."

J'onn turned towards the others. "I guess that answers our question. Clark destroyed the Kryptonite, so the only way to defeat our earth's Kryptonians was to travel to a different one."

Barry smacked his forehead. "Of course. They must not have a breacher in their stash of superpowered allies, so they had to trick my team into opening a breach to your earth. I brought the Kryptonite right to you," Barry said quietly.

Kara reached over and grabbed his hand. "It's not your fault. They tricked you," she told the man, knowing what was already racing through his mind.

He squeezed her hand and let go, pushing the chair back and standing up. "I've caused you too much trouble, it's probably best I leave."

J'onn scrunched his face and stood up. He pointed his finger at the man. "No. Sit back down, Barry. You aren't going to be helping anyone by rushing off with another half-baked plan. Let's talk this through. For all you know, this could be another part of their plan. They might want you to go back to your earth."

The guilt ridden man sat back down and nodded, realizing the wisdom in the Martian's words. "You're right. Who would want Kryptonite that bad that they would be willing to travel earths to get it?"

Alex twisted around in her chair and stared at her little sister. They both knew who would. "Lillian Luthor. Head of Cadmus."

"Of course. She's been trying to rid the earth of aliens ever since they started showing up. Her last attempt at Synthetic K almost went as bad as Maxwell Lord's. Of course she'd want some," J'onn responded.

"But how could she do anything dramatic? Scudder only brought a small rock of it," Barry added.

"Max Lord and Lillian Luthor both tried to create their own Kryptonite without the real mineral. However, if they wanted to, they could analyze the genetic composition of the actual rock and recreate a more accurate version to harm Clark and Kara," J'onn answered, distraught at the news. He had already seen what had happened when they had fought Metallo and did not want to see a repeat of it.

"And what of Maxwell Lord?" Bruce asked. "Is there any way that he could be in on this as well?"

Alex scoffed. "Is there any way he's not? Max is a scum. He'll jump at any opportunity to get back at Kara. I think we should assume that he's working with Cadmus on this one."

Clark's eyes widened as he thought of something. "Kara, is there any way that they could reconfigure the device we used to spread lead to do its original purpose of emitting Kryptonite?"

Kara gasped. "You're right. Lex's device was originally used to kill Kryptonians. I'm sure Lillian will find a way to synthesize her own copycat Kryptonite and kill us once and for all."

Alex's stomach churned at the change of events. She knew Kara was still suffering from having to banish Mon-El and knew she would experience that feeling times a hundred if something ever happened to Kara. A life without her little sister was one not worth living. She had been a terrible sister when the little alien had first arrived. Alex had been jealous and petty, wanting to be the only special one in the family. She felt as if she had to compete with the girl who had lost her entire world. It sickened her now as she thought about it.

If only she could have acted differently back, then.

But the years told the girls' story as they were triumphant through all life tried to throw at them. They couldn't stay the way they were and became closer than they could have ever dreamed. Alex realized that she could have the perfect person but no relationship would ever be as important as the one she shared with Kara. She would die before she would let anyone create a device that would banish her forever.

Barry mentally smacked himself. It was his fault. He had practically dropped the Kryptonite at Cadmus's doorstep and now both Kara and her cousin might die because of it. It killed him inside. He had almost lost Iris and now Kara might die as well. Her death seemed to cry out more to him, and he knew that if they failed, he would run back in time to change it. The timeline could go to hell for all he cared. He would not allow Kara to die. Savitar thought that Iris's death would tip him over the edge, but he had no idea. Kara's would turn him into the person he feared right then and there. She was too important to him.

His demeanor hardened as he prepared himself to do whatever was necessary to regain the Kryptonite and destroy it once and for all.

"Hold on," Bruce said. "How does your earth even have Kryptonite? Do you have doppelgangers of Clark and Kara? Of Krypton?"

Barry furrowed his eyebrows, thinking on it. "I don't know how we have Kryptonite. I'm pretty sure there's no Kara or Clark on our earth and as for Krypton, it might not have exploded."

The two Kryptonians smiled at the thought of their planet still intact. Kara remembered everything about it from the feeling of red sun on her skin to the sound of music. She thought on these memories often, pulling them from her mind when she needed them the most. She fought for Krypton. For the life her planet never got to have. Never again would another planet she loved suffer the same fate. It would not happen. She would defend it until she dropped dead and if this device was the thing to finally kill her, she would gladly rest with the souls of her people in Rao's light.

Clark couldn't imagine Krypton. He knew everything about it from his databases and Kara's intricate explanations, but he had no cognizant memories of his home planet. He admitted he was jealous of Kara's memories of their family, but his envy soon faded when he remembered what she had gone through on the day Krypton was destroyed. No child should eve had to endure that, and it warmed his heart that even on some earth, his cousin was free of that burden. He couldn't say it bothered him as much as it did Kara. He was more from Kansas than he was from Krypton. As much as he liked to claim the distant planet as his own, he would never be able to experience what Kara had.

Though the pain still lingered in his eyes, he saw the evidence of the survivor guilt written all over Kara's face. It still emerged in her hardest battles, and he was worried for his cousin. He was worried that with each heartbreak, each hardship, each planet's looming threat of destruction, she would become more and more reckless with the intrinsic hope of returning to her home with her deceased people. He was afraid that once she saved the earth she would give up on her own life. It was why he stayed close after Mon-El was forced to leave. Alex had told him of the events of Myriad and the fact that Kara was at peace with dying once she had saved Earth. She was fine with leaving everyone that cared about her as long as the Earth was safe.

Looking at Barry, and the way she stared at him gave Clark hope for her. He was optimistic, and wondered if Barry would be the one to restore her depleting will to live. He hoped that they would find themselves in each other and through the other, they would find clarity and a will to live that would sustain them. It was painful to see the survivor's guilt so prominent and etched in every feature of her face. Through every smile and laugh it was obvious, and the fact that he couldn't do anything about it was maddening.

"Is it possible you have a metahuman on your earth that possibly make Kryptonite?" Alex asked.

Barry shrugged. "It's possible, but it's also possible someone on my earth got the chemical makeup correct. They could have accidently stumbled upon how to make Kryptonite without even knowing it, and the people from your earth found out."

Bruce winced, hating what he had to say. "It is also possible that your planet could have just exploded. That would explain the presence of Kryptonite.

Kara's heart stopped for a second. The hope she had just been feeling faded away as she thought of the fact that another little girl would journey to a new unknown place with nothing to guide her. Her life's mission would no longer need her, and the little girl would always wonder what life would be like if she hadn't been thrusted into that pod.

It was a terrifying feeling and one that Kara had hoped would never plague another girl. She couldn't stomach it, and she felt herself become nauseous at the thought of it. If her planet had exploded on Barry's Earth, she would have to make sure the Danvers were there for her Earth-1 counterpart.

Alex slipped her hand over Kara's to calm the billions of thoughts that she knew were running through her little sister's mind. She knew the pain Kara felt, and she knew that her sister was always reluctant to share her pain.

"Kr-Krypton exploded? That means that Kal-El's pod would be landing in approximately 2 years. I would be landing 24 years after that," Kara told the group, her voice shaking.

"Couldn't their earth have kept Krypton's explosion under wraps? The planet could have exploded a long time ago, but instead of Clark landing in Kansas and being raised by the Kents, he was taken by the government? That would explain why Barry has never seen a member of the House of El flying around." J'onn raised his eyebrow in question.

Bruce nodded slightly. "That's also a possibility, but I think we don't have enough information to assume anything. So far, each of our ideas are logical and could have happened, but we just don't know if it did. We need to gather more information first."

"Then we have a new problem to discuss. Our friends who seem to have the uncanny ability to escape prisons. What do we do with them?" Alex asked.

"One of the villains my friends and I caught back on my earth wasn't able to escape our own metahuman prison underneath S.T.A.R. labs. Do you guys have something similar?"

Kara let out a sharp breath. She was getting tired of the conversation and wanted to find whoever was doing this and punch them already. "Besides the jail you made, which they escaped from, we have the DEO. We could try that."

J'onn nodded and pulled out his phone. "I'll arrange an immediate prisoner transfer with NCPD." He walked down a hall in the Batcave, already barking orders into the phone.

Several beeps turned the remaining heroes' vision to the monitors on the wall, and they stared in awe at what was before them. On one, a news anchor from Metropolis was reporting news of a man in a metal suit terrorizing the city by shooting blasts of nuclear energy. The second one showed a man with an etched on clown face throwing what looked like bombs in Gotham City. The psycho even carried a knife around with him. The third monitor displayed National City and the pale face of Livewire shooting blasts of electricity at the CatCo building.

Everyone in the room froze, looking at the screens relaying the destruction that was happening in all three cities. There was no good way to go about defeating all three villains at once. They had planned this perfectly with no room for improvisation without more loss of life. Bruce turned around and stared at everyone in the room.

"We h—" he started before Clark cut him off.

"They're attacking exactly where Lois is! I have to go help her!" Clark yelled, fear already settling in.

"I know that Clark! They clearly want us to go to our designated cities, but we can't play into their hands! This is obviously what they want us to do!"

Clark stood up, his chair flying back and into the wall. "I couldn't care less what they want us to do!" He stomped over to where Bruce was and pressed his finger into the man's chest. "They could kill my wife. I'm going."

Without another word, Clark took to the air and exited the Batcave, leaving the others in silence. They understood the logic behind what Bruce was saying, but they knew they couldn't leave their own cities in the hands of someone else. Everyone stood up from their chairs and looked towards the furious man in front of them.

"I'm sorry, Bruce, but Kal's right. I have to go help Miss Grant." Kara said, ready to speed towards National City.

Another monitor popped up with a new report. Alex and Kara's faces fell immediately as they looked towards the screen. Hank Henshaw, or Cyborg Superman as he was called, beamed lasers from his eyes, setting everything on fire. He stood in a place that both Alex and Kara loved. He was burning the place that they called home. Cadmus had crossed a line. Henshaw was in Midvale.


	6. Chapter 6- The Return of Loss

**A/N:** Hey, y'all! I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to get these chapters up. It's been a busy week. Anyway, I'm really happy that y'all have stuck with me this far! This story is really fun to write, and I hope that you guys are enjoying it. We're going to have a lot of fighting in this chapter, so I hope I do this right. Also, responding to sbuko2002, I have some pairings in mind, but I'm still thinking them through and how they'll effect the story. However, I'm definitely liking the idea of Barry and Kara together, so that is probably going to happen. Let's go!

 **Chapter 6**

Kara was reminded of when she was 13. The sheepish looks when she ripped open a door, the petrified feeling when all she saw was skeletal frames, and the helplessness. She wasn't allowed to use her powers. The 'it isn't safe' line was so overused that there was a time when she thought her powers where a curse. Kal didn't need to pretend. He was able to leap buildings, shoot lasers, and just all around use his powers to help people. With the shock of learning her cousin wasn't a little kid anymore, Kara found solace in the fact that she could use these amazing abilities to help people. She came from a family of warriors, fighters, who inspired her to want to do something meaningful with her life, but she was constantly held back because it 'wasn't safe'. She was told Earth already had their hero. They didn't need her.

Now she had risen. She had risen to become the hero her mother had always believed she could be, and the feeling of saving people became one that motivated her. She relied on her powers in every situation to be able to save her herself and those around her. Kara never wanted to feel that same helplessness she felt when she saw someone get hurt and was unable to help in her younger days.

But now the same powerlessness settled in as she saw Hank Henshaw destroy the town Kara had grown to love. The town Alex and her made so many memories in. He desecrated their home that they lived in with Cadmus's radical alien views. For all they knew, Eliza could be dead, and Alex could become an orphan just as Kara was.

The two sisters faced each other with pained expressions. Bruce looked at the screen noticing what they were looking at and turned his face down. It was an argument he was bound to lose. The heroes would look after their homes and remain divided in their efforts to stop whoever was behind this.

"Bruce—" Kara pleaded.

His hand rubbed his face. "Just go. Go save your mom. I'll take Gotham, Barry will attend to National City, and I'll send J'onn if he gets done securing our prisoners at the DEO."

Kara grabbed Barry's arm and turned him around. He grinned at her. "Don't worry. I'll take care of Sparky. Just go save your mom."

Kara let out a sigh of relief and looked at Alex. Grabbing her by the waist she took off as fast as she could towards the outskirts of Metropolis.

* * *

 **Metropolis**

Clark Kent landed hard, making the ground shake. Destruction littered the ground around him with bodies lying in the streets. Blood stained the ground around him, and his chest constricted in pain at the sight before him. Ben Krull had a personal vendetta against him and now he had found a place in some sort of group that fanned the flames of his anger, offering him a chance to hit Superman hard. They seemed to have granted him another suit of armor that replenished his need for Thorium 232. Krull's suit was definitely upgraded to withstand greater hits and shoot stronger nuclear blasts. Clark would have to approach this situation smarter than he had in the past. Krull had nearly killed him before with a weaker suit, and now with one that made the other look like a Halloween costume, Clark would have to take a page from Bruce's book and outsmart the rage-filled man.

Krull thrusted his chest at Superman, emitting a beam of nuclear energy. Clark quickly dodged the blast but was thrown off his feet by a punch from his metal hand. Flying backwards a few feet, Clark stumbled to his feet. He learned forward, his eyes lighting up and shooting two beams of light at him. They connected with his armor, making Krull stagger back some. However, the heat seemed to anger him more, and he rushed the blue suited superhero. Raising his hand, another blast of energy moved through the air, this time connecting with the Man of Steel. Clark flew backwards into a building, denting the side of it. Krull strutted forwards until he was standing over the crumpled hero. His leg raised to kick the Kryptonian through the wall, but was thrown off balance by a gust of air.

Flying up ten feet in the air, Clark reversed his direction and used the momentum to pound the metal man to the ground. Krull fell, and Clark grabbed the man by the shoulders. He threw him into the wall behind them, and walked over to his enraged foe. Moving to rip out the man's core, he was thrown back by another blast.

Krull raised his hands towards the man that caused him to lose everything that he loved. "You ruined my life!" He yelled as he attacked the superhero. "You caused me to lose everything I ever cared about!" He held him by his throat, Clark's hands wrapped around the metal. "Now, you'll feel everything that I did. First you will lose your city. Then you will lose your cousin."

* * *

 **National City**

Barry zipped towards the familiar plaza and was greeted by several fires raging around the city. The fire department tried in vain to douse the flames but for each one put out, three more arose. Screams were heard from all directions, and Barry couldn't tell where Livewire was. He missed his friends in his ear telling him where to turn and how to fix the problem. It was reassuring to know that they had his back, Caitlin monitoring his vitals, Cisco assisting in the takedown, and Wells helping with everything else. Even Julian offered a helpful view on defeating the metahumans that sprouted up seemingly every other day.

Now he was on his own, trying to neutralize a revenge motivated psycho who was hell bent on killing Cat Grant. Better yet, she could travel almost just as fast as he could through the telephone poles that were all along the city. Sighing to himself, he saw the outline of the pale woman he was looking for and sped towards her. Standing across from the black-eyed former CatCo employee, he bit his lip thinking of how disappointed Oliver would be. Last time his tried taking on this woman, he got shocked and was out basically the whole fight. Even a squirt gun would have done a fair amount of damage to the electricity based villain in front of him, but he had nothing except his speed that wouldn't really do much good if she just decided to electrify the air around them and kill him.

A bolt of lightning reached out to electrocute him, but he super speeded out of the way. Rethinking his plan, he moved to borrow a hose from National City's fire department but was thrown off his feet by Livewire's blast.

She chuckled at the man on the ground in front of her. "I was really hoping Supergirl would show up to protect her beloved Cat, but I guess her sidekick will do for now."

Barry groaned at Livewire's comment, and struggled to his feet. "Sidekick?" he muttered to himself. "I'll show you sidekick."

Before she could say anything else, Barry slammed his shoulder into the villain, knocking her back several feet. She flew backwards, hitting a telephone pole and dissolved into the electrical current. Twisting around trying to find the woman, he heard the crackling electricity behind him. He whipped around just as lightning whipped towards him, only centimeters from his chest.

* * *

 **Gotham City**

Bruce knew the danger that was associated when the Joker was involved. He was insane and more dangerous than anyone could have ever predicated. If he was involved in whatever this new group of villains was, the situation had just gotten infinitely worse. The Joker had no scruples on killing and an inability to tell right from wrong.

Bruce had fought many enemies that had proven to be intense foes and had even almost killed him several times, but the Joker was a different story. He had killed people close to him and ruined other people's lives. His anger towards the sadistic clown was immeasurable, but Bruce wouldn't allow himself to slip into a life of murder.

His city had a darker theme to it with sociopaths that were strategic, but with the Joker, situations were thrown off into an unpredictable lane with the clown several steps ahead. He had put the nefarious villain behind bars a few times, but the criminal always managed to escape. It was almost a game. A game that had already cost him people he cared about and loved.

Bruce would not allow this to get out of hand. He wished that he could have assembled something that would have allowed for a more organized approach to take down some of the most dangerous criminals known to plague mankind, but the person running this group dictated almost everything that the heroes tried to do. It was as if they never even got a chance to form their own group to counter the evil that their counterpart tried to project.

Dressed in his suit and speeding in his car, Bruce prepared himself for absolute chaos downtown. He didn't know exactly what to expect, but he knew that the scene would not be pretty. Arriving a few minutes later, he saw what had often happened when the Joker was free. Chaos. Destruction. Bodies that littered the ground with plastered smiles and blood running down the streets. It was a horrific sights and Bruce took a moment to survey the scene, looking for the Joker. His eyes connected with the clown and the two walked towards each other, Bruce's hand lingering on his batarang. The both walked at a slow, steady gait until they were approximately five feet away.

The Joker clapped his hands together. "Welcome to the show, Batman! I'm glad you were able to make it!" He crouched down and dragged his finger against the smile of a dead man. "Such destruction and still people hold on to the absurd notion of hope." He stands, picking up a crowbar from the ground. "Perhaps this will finally be what tips the balance that the two of us hold."

Bruce shakes his head, his voice deepening. "No. No matter what you do, this city will never follow into your crazed state."

The Joker shrugged his shoulders and began walking towards the black-cladded figure. Out of nowhere, he swung the crowbar at Bruce's head, barely giving him time to duck below it. He swung again, this time hitting his ribs. Bruce slapped his hand over the crowbar and jabbed his elbow into his face. The hit didn't faze him, and he attempted to whack Bruce again with the crowbar. He stepped out of the way, grabbing onto the Joker's wrist and using his other hand to smack the metal bar out of his hands. It clattered to the ground, and Bruce managed to twist his own arm around his pale neck, leaving the clown gasping for air.

The Joker laughed, immediately setting Bruce on guard, and he loosened his grip slightly in order to hear what he was saying.

"What a rush! Go ahead, Batman, snap my neck! Show Gotham what their hero really is beneath the projected self-righteous inability to do wrong! Do it!" he screamed, in between maniacal laughs.

Bruce's face contorted as he remembered his friend's death. His grip tightened as he recalled each murder and experiment the Joker had conducted on his city. Why did he fight if the people he fought for were dead and the ones that killed still remained alive? He wanted to save Gotham. He wanted to rid it of the crime that infested its streets, but he couldn't see the good that he'd done. Ever since he started this crusade, he had only faced more death and more heartache than before. He could rid it. Right now. Right here. Killing the Joker would be the salvation of this city.

Furious, he flung the clown away from him, face first onto the ground. He would not conform to the Joker's ludicrous idea that he could ever become a killer. No matter how much he desired to end the manslaughter, he couldn't become a killer. He crouched to the ground and grabbed him by the collar of his purple suit.

"Who are you working with?!" he yelled at the man.

"Geez, Bats. You think I'd want to tell you?"

He slammed the man on the ground, only eliciting laughter. "Tell me!" he yelled again.

"I think you're asking me the wrong questions," he said, pure glee in his eyes.

"What? Tell me what you know!" Bruce screamed, shaking the man.

"Your new friends aren't as intelligent as you, Batsy. With these new super powered villains flying around, they're bound to walk straight into a trap." He pushed against Bruce's hands until his face was inches from Bruce's. "Especially that impulsive blonde."

Bruce's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. This had been an elaborate way of diverting their attention towards four different enemies so that they could grab one of them. He tied up the Joker and saw the flashing red, white, and blue lights as Gotham city's finest pulled up to cart the Clown Prince of Crime back to Arkham Asylum. As the police grabbed the Joker from Bruce, he stood up and looked in the direction of Metropolis. Kara and Alex were in danger.

* * *

 **Midvale**

Kara and Alex landed hard, stumbling a few feet before gaining their bearings. They surveyed the damage that Henshaw had done, their faces crestfallen at the state their home was in. The two girls walked slowly, nearing their house and fearing for the worst.

Alex was always closer with her father, the two sharing similar likes and dislikes. She always had an easy relationship with him and loved being a daddy's girl. He was the best man she knew, and she was heartbroken when she found out he died. Her father, the one she spent so much time with, was never coming back. The memories started flowing freely from that point as she recalled all the time she spent with him. Their nights of looking through the telescope. Gone. It was a strange feeling getting used to life without someone you loved. The little things became more noticeable. The way her dad used to always teach about the stars each night. The way her dad would always sit with her on the beach. Everything reminded her of him.

When she realized he was still alive was a day that she would always remember. The hope and joy flooding her system as she began to understand that she could see her father once more. That her family could be whole once more. It had stoked the fires of determination as she became fixed on finding him. Nothing would keep her from bringing her father back.

She had never thought that he would be different.

Alex only meditated on finding him, not on the state he would be in. It was heart wrenching to see her father beaten and bloodied in the back of a truck with his hand almost completely useless. She couldn't help but blame herself for not getting to him sooner. But he was back. It was more than she could have ever hoped for, and all she wanted to do was hug her father and make for certain that Cadmus would never get their hands on him again. She resented her sister for even insinuating that Jeremiah could be a spy, but she couldn't help but ponder that possibility. When he revealed his true intentions by stealing the Alien Registry, she was heartbroken once more. It felt like she had lost him all over again. In that moment she felt like she truly understood Kara and Astra's relationship. She had hope for him. Hope he would change. Holding a gun to his head, she knew that she couldn't pull the trigger, just like Kara couldn't kill her aunt.

She was fortunate that her father had a chance to change. He did. He helped stop Lillian Luthor, but disappeared once more, probably to Cadmus. She had seen that he could be good and still she had a chance to save him before something worse happened which was more than Kara had gotten with Astra. Through all of the emotional turmoil, she was thankful that she still had both of her parents alive even if they weren't the same as before.

Except for now.

She never had the best relationship with her mother, she admitted that, but she loved her. The two of them had managed to repair some of the damage that they had undergone and had been on the track towards a better bond. Alex couldn't imagine not having her mother who had always been there in the darkest of times. Despite the pain that they had felt, the hurt feelings, the jealousy, her mother had been there for Alex when she needed her the most. Now, Hank Henshaw might take both of her parents from her.

"Hey, Kara. No matter what happens, I love you," Alex said quietly. "Whatever we see, whatever Henshaw does, don't forget that."

Kara gave her sister a soft smile. "I love you too, Alex."

Kara found herself with the same feelings as Alex. She had lost so many people she loved. She lost Krypton basically twice, once under the influence of the Black Mercy, and her aunt that she had still reserved hope for. Kara was grateful that she had received another family once she had landed, but had faced more grief when her adopted father was taken because of her. The guilt still seeped into her thoughts whenever she was reminded of Jeremiah, and Kal's abandonment of her had felt like a loss as well. Her whole life had been shredded and shredded again, making it a miracle she could still remain hopeful.

Despite her outgoing nature, she didn't know if she could handle anymore. Eliza was a mother to her, and she couldn't handle it if she died. All the people around her, her world, kept her from teetering off the edge into a despairing life. Each time she lost someone close to her, she felt herself drifting away, further and further.

The two girls walked steadily towards their childhood home. They stopped at the door, with Alex nodding towards Kara. Squinting her eyes, Kara used her x-ray vision to scope out the environment. She saw a woman tied to a chair in the kitchen, and Kara felt both relief and fear. Recognizing the emotions in her little sister's eyes, she quickly opened the door, letting Kara zoom into the house. She heard her sister let out a cry of pain and hurried towards the sound. Gasping, she saw an African American man wearing a chest piece similar to John Corben standing over her sister, shooting a steady beam of green light into her stomach. Before she could move to help her, she was thrown across the room. Grunting, she pushed herself up.

Her mouth fell open in astonishment. Her father stood over her, frowning, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Dad? Wh-what are you doing?" she stuttered.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I'm not in control of myself! Cadmus has done something!" he said, as he drove forward with his fist, Alex shifting to the side.

Alex dove towards her father, the two of them falling to the ground. He jabbed her in the ribs making her scream in pain as her rib broke. She reached for her gun on her thigh, pulling it from its holster. Scrambling to her feet, she pointed the gun at her father. He kicked at her wrist, sending the gun flying, and clambered to his feet. The two circled each other.

"Dad, please! You have to stop! That's Kryptonite! He's going to kill Kara!" she pleaded.

Jeremiah turned his head towards his adopted daughter and grimaced. "Alex, I can't! You have to kill me! I can't be the one to kill you, and you need to go save your sister!"

She shook her head violently, blocking a hit from her father and holding her arm close to her chest. "No! I won't! I can't, Dad, please. You have to tell me who's doing this! I'll call J'onn, and he can come stop whoever's controlling you!"

Jeremiah smiled sadly at his eldest. "Alex, you have to be strong. I can't keep hurting you."

Torn, she raised her gun, leveling it with his chest.

* * *

 **National City**

Barry Allen stood, shell-shocked, as lightning came whizzing towards his chest. A second before it connected with his chest, he was thrown off his feet. He shook out his head and stared at the green figure in front of him. Relieved, he grabbed J'onn's outstretched hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The two nodded at each other.

"I'll distract her and then you knock her down. Got it?" he asked. He was glad he had arrived just in time to keep Barry from being struck by lightning once again, but wanted to finish Livewire off so that he could rendezvous with Kara and Alex. He feared something would happen to them, and he would lose them just like he had with K'hym and T'ania.

Barry smiled and lightning flashed through his eyes. He zipped over to a different building, eager to end this and help Kara. He was worried someone might try to kill her with the mineral he had accidently brought to this universe.

Livewire materialized in front of the Green Martian, her face scrunching in disgust. "The Martian. He warned me you might help."

Raising her hands, electricity shot from her hands towards the Martian Manhunter. She smiled when she saw it hit his chest, but it quickly faded when she realized it had passed through. Confused, she repeated the action, getting the same result. Distracted, she didn't see the flash of red that streaked from the opposite building and crashed into her, sending her towards the alien. Her face slammed into his black-sleeved arm, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Barry walked over to J'onn and smiled. "Great job! We did it!"

"Yes. We did. I'll take Livewire to the DEO for a more secure imprisonment. I'll head over to see if I can help Kara and Alex afterwards. You should head over to Gotham to see if Mr. Wayne needs any assistance," J'onn responded.

Barry bit his lip. "Shouldn't I go see if I can help Kara?" He wanted to protect her and make sure Kryptonite didn't get anywhere near her. He couldn't be able to stand it if Kara was injured because of a mistake he made.

J'onn shook his head. "Bruce doesn't have any powers. He might be in over his head."

Barry sighed, noticing the practicality of the move, and zipped towards Gotham City, struggling to remember the way. J'onn watched as the young man super speeded towards the dark city of Gotham and grabbed Livewire. He slung her over his shoulders and took to the air, flying fast towards the DEO.

* * *

 **Metropolis**

Clark's blood boiled at the mention of his cousin. His only blood left. His fingers bent into the metal of Krull's suit, and his eyes lit up in anger. Screaming, his heat vision beamed from his eyes into Krull. He ripped the man's hands from his neck and threw him into the wall, making the stone crumble above him. Quickly, he sped over to the statue made in his honor. Lasers shot from his eyes, burning into the statue and liquefying it. He dipped his hand into the hot lead.

He recalled from his conversations with Kara through messaging, that she had defeated Reactron by coating his core in lead to prevent a nuclear explosion and ripped it from his armor. The removal of the core deactivated the suit, and she was able to defeat him.

Taking a page out of her book, he sped back over to the revenge-driven man and grabbed him by the arm, pressing the figure against the tattered stone wall. He used his other coated hand and grabbed the core. Ripping it out of the suit, he head-butted Krull, knocking him out.

Unsure of what to do what the nuclear core, he took off from the ground to the DEO, leaving a small crater in the ground.

* * *

 **Midvale**

Kara screamed in pain as the Kryptonite dug into her chest. Her veins glowed green with each passing moment that the new Metallo streamed Kryptonite into her. Her hands gripped the carpeted floor, denting it, as she cried out for her sister. She felt the intensity of the blast increase as he stepped closer her fallen figure. Her vision was blackening, and she couldn't remember the last time she had been in this much pain. Lillian Luthor had to have perfected the original mineral of Kryptonite.

She could feel herself slipping away into Rao's light. Her life and all the memories she had of Krypton and of Earth flashed through her mind. Her mother's smile. Her father's face. Kal-El as a baby. Krypton's explosion. She remembered the fear as she traveled light-years away from her newly exploded home into the unknown. The only thing that had comforted her was her mother's necklace, and her mission of protecting Kal. Her memory flashed again to her meeting the Danvers for the first time. The sincerity in Eliza's voice, the love in Jeremiah's eyes, and the comforting look that Alex had given her. Kara's mind slipped to Miss Grant and how much she appreciated the woman's insight, to James and his alluring personality, Winn and his amazing friendship, and J'onn and the selflessness he had always displayed towards her. She thought about Mon-El and how much she loved him. She had been so lucky to have met him, and she wished she could have had so much more time with him. Finally, she pictured Barry Allen and his brightening smile. She loved his humility, and his ability to always make her feel at ease. The man had swept her off her feet both literally and figuratively from the first time they had met, and he had managed to make her smile whenever he was around. She was in pain from the loss of Mon-El, but she couldn't help but think that she could have loved him deeply.

Her vision blackened, and she fell unconscious, her head dropping to the side. Her skin was a sickly green color, and he hair sticky with sweat. The new Metallo reached towards the crumpled Kryptonian and picked her up. He nodded towards Jeremiah and exited out of the house.

Alex felt the tears fall freely down her face as she stared at her father, gun in hand and pointing at his chest. Her hands shook as a million thoughts raced through her mind. She couldn't do it. She couldn't. More tears fell as she saw Metallo pick up her little sister.

"No!" she yelled, swinging her gun to point at Metallo. He ignored the gun and proceeded to leave. Jeremiah moved to take the gun from Alex but stopped once she swung it back around.

"Dad, they took Kara. You have to fight this now! I can't kill you!" Alex begged.

Jeremiah's face softened. "I can't! You have to do it now, Alex! Go get your sister!"

She shifted the gun down and pulled the trigger, a bang ringing throughout the house. Jeremiah grabbed at his leg as he fell to the ground. Blood seeped through his hand and onto the floor, staining the carpet. Alex holstered her gun and ran from the house, out the door Metallo had gone.

She cupped her mouth and screamed. "Kara! Kara!" She fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around, grabbing at her gun. Bruce held his hands in the air, and looked into Alex's torn eyes.

"What happened?" he asked, fearing the answer. He hated that he couldn't have gotten here in time to help. He could have done something…anything to help.

Alex wiped at her eyes and stood up. Her face hardened. "They took Kara. We were expecting Henshaw, but he wasn't here. They tricked us. They tricked us and now Kara might be dead."

She turned to look at Bruce. He had pulled down his mask and she saw dried blood and bruises around his eyes. She noticed him holding his left side and assumed he had broken a rib or two.

Bruce's face fell at the news. That was the goal. They scattered four attacks around the city. They used the Kryptonite to construct another Metallo and lured the Danvers sisters into a trap. Either she was an easier target than Superman, or this new group specifically needed Kara.

"Don't worry. We'll get her back," he promised.

She barely acknowledged the oath and turned to go back inside. She walked back inside, stopping in the kitchen where Kara had seen a woman tied up. Alex let out a relieved breath and ran to her mother. Eliza had been beaten, her hair a mess with dried blood sticking to parts and discolorations all around her arms and face. Alex bent down to untie her from the chair and slowly peeled off the duct tape from her mouth. Eliza looked towards her daughter in relief and stood up.

"How's Jeremiah? Where's Kara?" she asked quickly.

Alex grabbed her mother's hand and dragged her into the living room where her father was tied and still grabbing onto his leg. His leg had been bandaged, but a pool of blood had accumulated on the ground. Before anyone could speak, a flash of red entered the room and Barry Allen stopped, looking around for Kara. His eyes were widened when he didn't see her, hurriedly running to Alex's side.

"Where's Kara?" he said, panic slipping into his voice.

Alex frowned, and Barry ran his fingers through his hair, falling onto the couch beside them. He rubbed at his face, and laid his head in his hands. He had to get her back.

Kara woke with a start, trying to pull against the chains that held her down. She turned her head to the side and saw green cuffs around her wrists. Her body aching, she leaned her head up as far as it would go, and saw grey walls. Nothing else occupied the room except a small table with objects that looked like surgery equipment. She pulled once more at the cuffs but they didn't budge. She heard the door open and groaned.

"Hello, Supergirl. I'm glad we were able to get you."

Kara scoffed. "Lillian Luthor. I'm not even surprised. Why did you grab me?"

She laughed and grabbed a tool from the table. "Someone has told me that you are stronger than your cousin. He is quite credible, so I'm inclined to believe him. You have a group of aliens and metahumans that surround you, and you seem to have an emotional hold on each one of them. Now, call me deranged, but I believe your dear old uncle had the right idea. Mind control. A very powerful thing indeed." She flashed Kara a smile. "You asked why you're here. You've just been recruited to Cadmus."


	7. Chapter 7- I Have to Get Her Back

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I hope you all are liking this story so far! It's been really fun to write and we aren't even close to being done. I'm sorry if the last chapter was a little depressing. I want to add a lot of emotion in here between the different scenes so that it can start to show some character depth and growth. Not all the chapters will be like that though. This one will have mostly recuperation, regrouping, some visitors, and about what Kara's going through in Cadmus. Sorry, but this chapter gets a little out of hand on the word count. It also gets really really dire but bear with me. I have a definite plan for this and it will get better. Just as a reminder, for each CW show we are going to ignore the cliffhangers of their season and pretend everything is not going to hell. Enjoy!

 **Reminder:** These characters are not mine. They belong to DC, CW, and CBS respectively.

 **Chapter 7**

Alex Danvers felt like her whole world exploded. She had her mother. She had her father. She had everyone she thought would make her life complete again, but she didn't have Kara. The smiling blonde that she loved. Alex couldn't even remember what it was like to hate Kara. The days spent loathing the attention that the alien got, or the jealousy she had, even the embarrassment. She'd give anything to go back and change how she had acted back then. She wished she could have been better, more welcome, more loving to the little girl who had lost her entire world.

She remembered the day when she stopped hating Kara.

For months she ignored her. She sat with her friends at a table, leaving Kara to sit alone at lunch and barely feeling any guilt. Alex would flirt with Rick, or chat with her friends. She even went as far as to make fun of Kara with them. All she wanted to do was fit in. But things changed. Alex was walking back from her class, going to make sure Kara got on the bus with her, as commanded by her mother, when she saw two girls and a guy shoving her around. They were shouting obscene things while Kara remained stone faced. Then they mentioned how she was an orphan. That her parents never wanted her and so she had to live with the Danvers, living off of them. The guy shoved her to the ground, but Kara still remained still, not even bothering to fight back. Alex could see the misting of her eyes in that moment. The sadness at the loss of her family, the loss of her whole world. Alex knew that Kara could have easily beat them. Use a little super strength and they would never bother her again, but Kara never did. She just sat on the ground while the group poked at her hair and pushed her around. Alex's heart broke and anger filled her at the thought of these bullies pushing her little sister around.

She wanted to do something. She wanted to defend Kara right then and there, but she didn't. She turned around and walked as fast as she could back to the bus. She slipped into the seat next to her friend and watched the bus door, waiting for Kara to board it. Minutes later, right before the driver shut the door, Kara walked up the stairs and sat at a seat by herself. That night Alex couldn't sleep. She remained awake, thinking of her cowardice. She heard a soft whimper and cry, and she bolted upwards in her bed. Alex saw Kara on her side, tears falling freely as she stroked the necklace she always wore.

Forgetting the embarrassment, the jealousy, and hate, Alex slipped from under her covers and moved towards the girl. She climbed in beside her and wrapped her arms around the alien. They both sat up, but Alex's arms never left Kara. They rocked back and forth with Alex whispering into her ear. Their relationship had changed on that night. From that point on, she never thought of her as an alien, or an orphan, or adopted sister. There didn't need to be any other titles. Kara was Alex's sister, end of story.

The next day, she found the three bullies and smiled at them. They returned the grin and called out to her. Without even breaking stride, she put as much force as she could into her punch and the boy's head snapped back. His hands went straight to his nose as blood dripped down from it and onto the floor. The two girls just stared at Alex, not even sure what was going on. Alex just smiled, and grabbed the boy, slamming his head against the locker.

"If you ever lay a hand on her again you're going to get a lot worse than a bloody nose, so I suggest you apologize," she said calmly. She turned towards the girls beside her. "And if you two ever make fun of her parents again, you're going to get the same thing he's getting over here."

The two exchanged looks and then one of them stepped forward, her bent ego evident from a mile away. "What the hell, Alex? You were just making fun of her yesterday!"

Alex winced and then walked towards her, making the other one flinch. "That was then. This is now."

She walked away, leaving the three bullies fuming at the new development. The days passed and Alex kept true to her word. Kara never sat alone again. She was never bullied or made fun of. Alex stayed by her side each year and fought for her little sister that had let herself be shoved around rather than stand up for herself because she was afraid of hurting someone. They became each other's heroes.

Alex couldn't live without Kara. They balanced each other out, and she was afraid that without Kara, she would tip off the edge. She had come to depend on her just as Kara had depended on Alex. She could only imagine what Cadmus was doing to her right now. Her heart ached at the thought as she recalled what Kara had told her they did the last time she had been there. They had shot Mon-El and drained Kara of her powers. They were ruthless, and she didn't doubt the fact that as soon as they were done with her, Kara would be killed. The thought made her stomach churn and she felt like throwing up.

She saw Barry out of the corner of her eye, still sitting on the couch, his eyes sad. The group was silent. No one spoke. They all just pondered what had happened, the fights they went through, and how they were going to get Kara back. Bruce cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.

"We need to head somewhere to talk. We can go to the Batcave. I'll have Alfred set up some rooms, so we can all stay there and plan a course of action to get Kara back," he said quietly.

The group nodded their heads in agreement. Alex grabbed her father's tied hands and yanked him up. Before anyone could leave, they heard Clark land in the back of the house, running inside. His face was hard as he realized what had happened. He looked at Alex.

"Where is she?"

"Cadmus has her. They're probably experimenting on her as we speak. We're heading to Bruce's Batcave. Bruce can take mom, you take dad, and Barry can take me. Good?"

Everyone mumbled their agreement, and Alex moved over towards Barry. The rest of the team filtered out of the house, leaving the two alone. Barry stood and gave Alex a questioning look.

"You love her, don't you?" Alex asked.

Barry froze at the words. Kara was amazing. Her humility and hope was inspiring, and he couldn't help but smile every time he looked at her. He thought that he loved Iris enough to start something with her, but around Kara that love seemed dull in comparison. Did he love her? He knew he felt something strong, stronger than whatever he had with Iris. A bond that he knew she was aware of as well. They had tread lightly around each other after reuniting, remembering the incident with the Music Meister, but they recognized the mutual attraction.

"Not as much as you do," he answered simply.

Alex smiled at the response and motioned for him to sit down again, taking a spot next to him. "I do love Kara. She's not just my sister. She's my life. Ever since her pod landed on this earth my mother told me to look out for her. So I did. I protected her in school, I joined the DEO, and I moved to National City. Everything I do is to make sure that she's safe."

Barry frowned at the brunette in front of him. "It's not your fault, Alex. You did the best you could do in the situation. No matter how much time you devote to keeping her safe, you're never going to be able to shield her from everything. They found a loophole. They tricked us, but we will get her back. I will. I promise you that."

"Thank you, Barry. You know she talked a lot about you after you left."

Barry grinned. "Did she now?"

Alex laughed, bumping her shoulder against his. "Yeah. She really liked you. She told me that she wished I could have met you. She thought you were some kind of superhero master with intricate planning and cool inventions."

"I was pretty impressed with her too," Barry shifted in his seat. "What, uh, happened to Mon-El?"

Alex's face fell. "I'll let Kara tell you that when we get her back," she responded, leaving Barry curious. "We should probably head to the Batcave now."

Barry nodded, and they both stood, grabbing each other in a hug. They saw the same emotions in the other person's eyes and realized the emotional weight of the situation. Kara was their anchor. The one who kept them grounded in humility and kindness. The two were afraid for what would happen if they were to have lost the person they loved the most. The stakes were too high.

Barry gently picked up Alex and ran to Gotham. The two arrived just as Bruce pulled in with Eliza. Clark and Jeremiah were already there with Jeremiah attempting to apologize to him. The superhero merely nodded, his face void of emotion. J'onn had arrived earlier and had been briefed on the current situation. His face was hard and angry. He had lost too many people he cared about and did not plan to make Kara his third daughter to die. The newly arrived took seats around the circular table. Bruce cleared his voice and began.

"We should report," he said slowly. He noticed the mood of the room had changed. The group was torn at the loss, each person deeply affected. This was personal for everyone here, and the air seemed to chill without the bubbling happiness that Kara brought.

"Metropolis?" Bruce asked, prompting Clark.

"Ben Krull attacked Metropolis. I managed to beat him with the same technique that the DEO and Kara used. Afterwards, I took the core and Krull to the DEO. J'onn locked him up."

"National City?"

Barry sighed and started. "Livewire wreaked havoc on the city. There were fires everywhere. I was able to defeat her with help from J'onn. He took her to the DEO while I put out all the fires. He told me to assist you in Gotham. I arrived, but you weren't there. I then ran to Midvale."

Bruce's hair stood on end. He detected some bitterness in the young man's voice and was afraid there might be an argument arising. He didn't have to wait long, and J'onn leaned back, crossing his arms.

"I hope you're not implying that it's my fault Kara got taken," he said, his voice tight.

Barry laughed at the man. "Isn't it? I told you I should help Kara! You're the one who commanded me to go to Gotham! If I hadn't, I would have gotten to Midvale just in time to keep her from getting taken!" he accused, his voice rising in volume.

"It was the right move and you know it!" J'onn responded.

"Was it, J'onn?" Clark added, joining in the conversation.

He raised his eyes at the angry cousin in front of him. "I didn't see you rushing off to help her!"

"I was busy locking someone behind bars! Or would you rather me let him roam free?" he countered. Clark spun around and focused his withering gaze on Alex. "What were you doing while you let Kara get taken?"

"Excuse me?" she said, taken aback. "I had my own problems to deal with! And since when do you care? You abandoned her with us when she had just landed on a new planet after spending 24 years in the Phantom Zone! It was my job to protect her after you just left! Her whole life was turned upside down and all you did was add to her list of losses!"

Clark stood, his chair skidding back several inches before falling on the ground. His eyes lit up in anger. Barry and Bruce pushed back their chairs and attempted to conduct a cease fire between the two angered and emotional family members. Barry went to Alex while Bruce placed his hands on Clark's chest on pushed him back.

"Enough! This is exactly why we have been defeated so easily! Stop fighting amongst each other and work together!" Bruce yelled. "We have to get her back. Luckily, thanks to Alex, we have a member of Cadmus with us."

"What are we going to do?" Barry asked, worried. "We have no legion of superheroes that we can just call upon whenever we have a problem."

"You're right. We don't, but we can. Super powered individuals are scattered around the world. We need to unite them under one mantle. One goal. We have fought our own battles and got ourselves almost killed in the process. Kara and J'onn took on her crazed fanatic uncle and Indigo and barely escaped. Imagine if we had a group of people that would respond on that call and aid whoever needed help."

"That's a novel idea, really, but won't that leave their own cities vulnerable to an attack?" Alex questioned.

"It might. For a while at least, but we can coordinate stations around the world. We have some of the smartest minds on our side to help us. Some people have teleportation abilities. We could incorporate the same powers into transportation that would immediately send heroes to an active site. They could be stationed in a designated city and called upon if they're needed and replaced with someone else," Bruce explained.

"Do we even have enough people to form a group like this?" J'onn asked.

"I have contacts. I know a woman with amazing skills who lives on an island with all women. Another who has a ring that is only limited by his imagination. Powerful individuals that can become a force to be reckoned with if they are united."

"It sounds like a work in progress. There's no way that we can organize something this complex in time to counter whatever Cadmus has planned." Clark added.

Bruce smiled. "I anticipated something like this. I have been working on assembling a…a…league of sorts that will bring criminals to justice for a while now. Wayne Enterprises has established a think tank of the greatest minds known to mankind with the goal of solving some of the world's most prevalent issues. It will allow us to work anonymously with significant funding."

The group exchanged looks around the table. The idea seemed flawless if they could pull it off. It would allow for them to neutralize a threat before it became too uncontrollable.

Barry remembered the years past where he spent months planning and scheming against the Reverse Flash, Zoom, and Savitar. He lost people he loved each time and if he could prevent something like that from happening again, he would be a fool to refuse. He opened his mouth to respond but stopped when he saw a blue-white hole beginning to open only a few feet from the table they were sitting at.

The group jumped into action. Barry pulled the mask over his head and lightning flashed through his eyes as he prepared himself for whatever was coming through. Alex pulled her gun from its holster, pointing it towards the breach. Clark's eyes lit up in response and J'onn morphed into his natural form. Bruce ran over behind the breach, planning to surprise whoever came through with an attack from behind.

The breach reached its peak size and held. Before they could blink, an arrow flew through. Barry's eyes widened in surprise as it landed in front of them. Before he could call off the team, smoke billowed out of the arrow, throwing each of them into a coughing fit.

Alex covered her mouth and coughed, briefly lowering her gun. Someone attacked her and whacked the weapon out of his hand. Barely able to see anything, she tried to use her other senses to fight, only managing to clip the attacker on the side of the head. She was thrown from her feet and landed hard on the ground. She felt the presence of a metal pole on its downward path to her head and shifted to keep it from busting her head open. Alex spun her leg around tripping the newly revealed woman to the floor. The woman currently on the ground wore a white suit and carried a metal staff with her. The smoke began to clear and Alex could see all the people that had jumped through the breach.

A man decked in all green carried a dangerous looking bow nocked with a unique arrow and tip. He had a hood pulled over his face and she could see the shadow of a mask below it as well. He was currently engaged in a seemingly even battle with Bruce.

Her mouth fell open slightly when she saw a man completely on fire attempting to defeat J'onn. His eyes lacked pupils and were fully white. He levitated slightly over the ground as he fought, noticeably confused when his hands seemed to pass through the Martian.

She saw a man with goggles was barely holding his own against Clark, opening breaches each time the man came close to him. He aimed his hand at the superhero and knocked him out of the sky with a blast of some sort of energy.

The white-suited woman on the ground stood up quickly and swung her staff at Alex. She ducked underneath it, rising and punching the woman in the face. The woman stumbled back and charged again kicking at Alex's knee, forcing her to the ground. She raised the staff, but paused when she heard Barry yell. Alex seized the moment and grabbed the staff, slamming her shoulder into her chest and knocking her to the ground.

Barry raised his hands in the air. He was befuddled at the events that were unfolding in front of him. Some of the best people he knew were engaged in an amazing display of powers and hand-to-hand combat. Everyone in the room stopped at the sound of his voice. Alex was currently about to bludgeon Sara with her own staff, Oliver was put in a headlock by Bruce, Firestorm was strengthening his nuclear output and about to attempt to incapacitate J'onn, and Cisco was merely fighting for his life against Clark. It was a truly baffling sight, and Barry didn't know who would win if he had just let this fizzle out naturally.

"Guys, stop! These are my friends from my earth!" Barry yelled. The group of people hesitantly lowered their arms and bows. Oliver eyed Bruce and walked over to Barry.

"What is going on, Barry? You left through a breach with Scudder, Mardon, and Simmons and didn't come back. I was trapped in a mirror!" he said, clearly upset.

"I'm sorry. Things have been pretty bad over here," Barry responded. "Why don't we catch up? I'll introduce everyone."

Oliver nodded and motioned to Firestorm, Sara, and Cisco to join the others at the table. Alex offered her hand to her, and she took it, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. The two groups sat at the table, an awkward silence greeting them. Both looked to Barry to start.

"Uh, so, J'onn you already met Cisco," he said, pointing to his friend. "This is Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. He protects Star City. Next to him is Sara Lance, the White Canary, then Jefferson Jackson or Jax, also known as Firestorm," he concluded, clapping his hands together. Oliver raised his eyebrow at the brown haired man.

"Oh and on this earth we have Alex Danvers, Kara's sister, J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, Clark Kent, Superman, and Bruce Wayne, Batman."

Clark looked questioningly at the new people. "What can they do?"

"I shoot blasts of nuclear energy," Jax answered, bluntly.

"I'm basically an assassin," Sara added, inspecting her staff.

"Jax and Cisco are the only ones with metahumans powers if that's what you're asking," Barry said.

Oliver looked around, searching for Kara. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He would have expected Kara to be here with her sister and Barry. Oliver turned towards his friend. "Where's Kara?"

The group quieted, almost as if they were discussing a death, but with Cadmus involved, she might actually be dead. They held onto hope, but they couldn't help but consider the logical possibility.

"She was taken," Barry muttered.

Oliver's countenance fell at the news. He had given the woman the cold shoulder when they first met, mostly due to the overwhelming lingering thought of her being an alien, but he couldn't help but enjoy her sunny nature and bubbly personality. She reminded him a lot of Barry.

Cisco bit his lip in disappointment. Kara was just so likeable. Everyone who knew her couldn't help but smile when around her. He had only known her for a few months, but he knew that he had to help this new group of people get her back. He saw the looks that passed over Barry's face when he was around Kara. He had seen the same thing on a lesser scale when Barry looked at Iris. He didn't think it was possible, especially after all the two had gone through, that someone could captivate Barry more than Iris had. They had so much history behind them full of love and pain. They had endured so much that had strengthened their relationship as they traveled through the fire together. With Kara, all of that seemed to pale, and Barry would just attract to the blonde. Cisco couldn't have his friend lose someone as important as that.

"What's your plan to get her back?" Sara asked. She had liked the woman immediately when she saw her. She would babble and laugh, much like Felicity, but she was so unfailingly nice and humble that Sara could recognized the rarity of a person like that. This world would not be deprived of Supergirl.

"What do you mean? We have a plan, but you have to get back to Earth-1 to protect it," Barry said.

Cisco laughed. "Dude, they don't need us right now. They have Thea, Diggle, Felicity, Nate, Amaya, Ray, Mick, Nyssa, Wells, Wally, and Caitlin," he said, listing off each person.

"Wait, Caitlin?" Barry asked, confused on why Caitlin would be back.

Cisco shrugged. "We needed her help. Oliver was trapped in a mirror and we needed to reach temperatures near absolute zero. Julian was able to track her down, and he brought her back to S.T.A.R. labs. We had to get to some pretty escaping temperatures so she used her powers to freeze the mirror and allow Oliver to escape."

"Is she back for good? Without Killer Frost?"

Cisco smiled at his friend. "I think so, man."

Barry sagged in his chair, letting out a breath of relief. He never wanted to experience that again or have to fight her. She had always been by his side, and he couldn't betray her like that. At least there was a sliver of good news in this otherwise terrible day. Oliver clapped Barry on the back.

"How are we rescuing Kara?"

Bruce stood up and pointed to this monitor. "There has been chatter of a new Cadmus Headquarters. They have previously used abandoned warehouses or buildings that had been discarded by L-Corp, but this one is rumored to be a research facility for experimentation. Sources have claimed that they have obtained alien DNA and spliced and modified it into a completely new creation. I believe that Kara would be held there for observation and assessment."

"What's their security?" Oliver asked.

"Unknown. This is a fairly new building and it houses their most dangerous projects. We have to assume it's more serious than the others."

"Then we can't make a course of action. We don't have enough information to breach their base of operations," J'onn responded.

Alex's stomach dropped at the conversation the three were having. The thought of her sister being poked and prodded by a group of needle happy scientists made her sick. Her sister was strong, and she had no doubt that Kara would hold on until she was able to get to her, however she couldn't imagine the state she would be in.

"What can we do then?" Jax inquired.

Sara looked at the crestfallen group in front of her. Their dejected body language gave her all the answers she needed. "I guess all we can do is wait."

Bruce sighed. "We will find so—" He was cut off by a sudden beep from the monitor. "Power surge. A building on the outskirts of National City just surged with a radiation similar to that of Kryptonite."

Alex and Barry looked each other, fear creeping in. "That has to be where she is."

Bruce nodded. "We have to be smart. Last time we split up, we lost Kara."

"He's right. White Canary, Firestorm, and Superman should stay here to be able to make sure all the other cities don't spontaneously go to hell," Oliver said. "The rest of us can go get Kara and make sure she's okay."

Bruce clenched his jaw, unused to someone else calling the shots. It was a little unnerving, but he knew the man was smart, sectioning off who would go and who wouldn't.

Clark stood from the table to look at the Robin Hood wannabe. "No. I'm going to get Kara."

Oliver raised his eyebrow. "That's a great idea if you'd like to die. Bruce just told us that there are radiation signals that match Kryptonite. If you go there, you will die."

Clark took a deep breath, realizing his error and sat back down. "Fine. Just make sure she gets here safely."

Oliver nodded at the emotional man in front of him. "You have my word we will get her back." He motioned to the others. "Let's go."

* * *

Kara remembered when she fought Vartox. That axe wielding maniac had cut her and introduced her to the world of pain. It was agonizing and surprising. She had gone through life on Earth as if she was invincible. She hadn't experienced pain, and it was disconcerting to know that she could be hurt. Her naïve perspective had changed quickly when she emerged as Supergirl. She had been thrown, stabbed, cut, punched, shot, and mind controlled. She liked to think that she had become hardened since she first started her fulfilling night life as a superhero. Her experiences had led her to alter what she believed from invincible to perseverant. She knew that she could be hurt, but she also knew that whatever she faced, she could get through it as long as she knew what she was fighting for.

It didn't matter if it was Kryptonite, magic, bombs, or bullets, she would emerge stronger. She couldn't afford to be weak and lose someone she cared about. Her mother, father, Astra, Mon-El, her life was full of reminders of what happens when you aren't strong enough.

Kara was aware that several hours had passed since she was taken, and she held onto hope that Barry and her sister would come for her. Hope was all she had as the deranged scientists discussed options on how to achieve their goal. They mentioned cutting her open, experimenting with Kryptonite, and other nauseating activities. She assumed they thought they had some sort of psychological leverage if they talked about what they were going to do right in front of her.

It bothered her thinking about her body being mutilated for their viewing pleasure, but she consoled herself with thoughts of her family. No matter what, her family was safe. She would get back to them before Lillian accomplished her goal and effectively mind controlled her. She had already been through this whole ordeal more times than she cared for. She had promised herself that she wouldn't have to go through the emotional pain again after the Red K incident, but she saw how well that worked out after she was put under a different influence with the Dominators. Now here she saw, breaking another unrealistic promise she had made to herself. She wished she had gone through the same DEO training Alex had so that she could whip out some DEO ninja tricks and get out the hell out of here.

She couldn't hurt her sister or Barry. She would rather die than do so, and she was pretty done with everyone who kept trying to get her to do it. She remembered J'onn telling her that his psychic powers didn't work on her and she was glad she had that at least. It would take them a while to figure out some way to get her under their control, and that would allow her time to construct a plan.

She didn't have Jeremiah to bail her out this time, and she didn't even have Mon-El to keep her company. Kara had always hated being alone, and now here she was, facing the thing she hated the most, alone.

She heard the door unlock and Lillian came into the room, her heels clicking. She peered at the pale Kryptonian and smiled.

"I see you aren't healing," she observed.

Kara laughed. "I wonder why. You had your new Metallo almost kill me and then you put me in Kryptonite cuffs. Of course I'm not healing," she snapped.

"That's not the ambiable Kara Danvers I remember."

"I'm sorry if I'm not exactly happy to talk to you," she grumbled at the lady. "What do you want?"

Lillian smiled. "I have a surprise for you." The door opened again, and Kara shook her head in disgust.

"Maxwell Lord. You're working with Cadmus," Kara said, blankly.

"Yes. Yes I am. While I'm no fan genocide, I can't help but agree with some of their ideals."

"So you just signed up to their cult?"

He sucked in a breath. "I wouldn't say signed up. We have common interests. I have something they need, and they will do something for me. It's not a permanent partnership."

Kara rolled her eyes. "And what is that?"

Lillian grabbed something from the pocket of her jacket, holding it in front of Kara to see. She gasped. "The omegahedron," she said, incredulous. "How did you get that?"

Max winked at her. "After your battle, General Samuel Lane gifted me with this little beauty. I think you already know what it does."

"Why, Max? I thought we had some sort of agreement after what happened with Myriad." Kara said, softly.

"That's why I'm sorry for what's to come," he paused, "but it still has to come. Aliens threaten our ability to defend ourselves. I spent so much time with Bizarro and Kryptonite when all I needed to do was regulate you. Limit the world's most powerful woman and you have no threats. Anyone that stands against you won't stand a chance."

"Thanks to some intel we've received, we no longer need to waste our time having alien species try to control your mind. You see, we have made a deal with someone much more powerful than you, and he has given us a gift. A show of good faith if you will," Lillian said. "Dominator technology. I'm sure you're familiar with it after your adventure on your friend's earth."

Kara's eyes widened. "How did you know about that?"

Lillian chuckled. "All in due time, Supergirl. Our friend gave us the device that had brought you under its control. However, he didn't supply us with the energy to power it. He told us his friendship only extended so far. Max has kindly offered us use of the omegahedron that should power the device."

"However, it was crude and needed adjustments. The Dominators heavily influenced parts of your brain that kept you from interacting. It sent out waves of neural impulses that rendered you close to useless. With my adjustments, the device sends out neural triggers that will activate certain programmed feelings towards people." He bit his lip. "It's not full mind control, merely a more controlled version of Red K."

Kara shook her head violently at the man. "Please, Max don't do this."

He frowned. "I'm sorry, Supergirl. I'm sorry it has to be this way. I made sure it's a relatively harmless process. The Earth you visited has more advanced Nano technology. I developed a bot that you can swallow and it will attach to different parts of your brain. They will insert and merge with your brain and lay dormant until the device triggers them. I ran simulators that stressed unknown variables once it attaches. You might have a slight seizure until the bots adapt with your brain's electrical output."

He motioned to the men by the bed to tighten the Kryptonite cuffs on her wrists. She squirmed against them and looked at Max, pleading with her eyes. "Please. I'm begging you. If you won't stop this, just kill me. I can't hurt my family. Kill me."

The two paused at the blonde's words. She was desperate, but they didn't think she would resort to this drastic course of action. Lillian looked at Max and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Supergirl," he said and pressed his hands against her forehead and jaw.

Holding it open, Lillian took the syringe from the side of the table and emptied its contents into her mouth. Kara struggled against the man, trying to spit them up. He slammed her head down, closing her nose, forcing her to swallow. Her body began to shake and she started to scream. Attempting to hold her down, the seizure lasted a minute before dying down.

She stopped shaking and stared at the two people in front of her. Her eyes were wet from crying, and her hair damp from sweat. Lillian Luthor grabbed a gun from the guard beside her. Max frowned sympathetically at the Kryptonian on the table. He placed the omegahedron in a slot in the device a few feet from them and pulled a remote from his pocket.

"Your first neural trigger is on your prefrontal cortex and phonological loop. Once I press the button, it will send out a signal telling the bot to temporarily stop the loop. That will basically make sure you forget this conversation," Max explained.

Lillian turned the gun towards Kara making her flinch. "Don't worry. It's all part of the show."

"Wh-why are y-you going t-to shoot me?" Kara stuttered, still recovering from the seizure.

"Our failure with Jeremiah taught us a lesson. We have to be convincing when we return you. We will make it seem as though we have taken everything we want from you and that this disposal was only inevitable. You probably won't die. If I miss and hit a vital organ, oops. Then I guess we will just have to take your cousin. It really doesn't matter. Your friends should be on their way."

Smiling at her, she aimed the gun at Kara's stomach and pulled the trigger twice. Green bullets embedded themselves in her suit and her hands immediately went to her wounds. Everything became hazy, and she could barely hear someone say that they needed to evacuate. Her eyes made contact with her bloody hands, and she scrunched her face. She had been in pain before. She had pulled through because she had someone worth fighting for. Her sister, her mother, the world. Now, knowing what Max's plans were, she didn't know why she still fought. She had begged them to let her die, and they had inadvertently given her a chance to do so. Kara wouldn't have to hurt those she loved. She could die right now and be free.

She heard someone crash into the room and saw her sister's face above her. Kara could tell she was crying and wanted her to stop. She couldn't stand when her sister cried. It always broke her heart seeing her hero, the one she looked to for strength, in such a despairing state. Barry appeared beside her with the same look on his face.

"Oh god no!" he screamed, putting his hands over her stomach and pressing.

Alex unlocked the cuffs and pulled the woman into her arms. The two somehow managed to fall to the ground with Kara still remaining in her arms, and Barry frantically trying to stop the bleeding. She put her hand on her sister's face, smiling at her.

"You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay." Tears ran freely down her face. "Please be okay. I need you. I need you more than anyone else. I'm sorry for everything I said before. You're more important than anyone else. I can't live without you," she whispered to the blonde in her arms.

Kara's face twitched as she tried to smile. "I-I l-love you, Al-Alex," she stuttered.

Alex rubbed her sister's face with her thumb. "I love you too. Save your strength. You're gonna be alright."

Kara shook her head. "N-no. P-ple-please, A-Alex. Let me die."

Alex recoiled at her sister's words. "No! I can't! Please, Kara! You've always fought! Fight now! We'll get through this!"

"N-no," Kara began again. She was vaguely aware in the back of her mind that Max had pressed the button. She only had a few more seconds before she forgot everything. Only a few seconds to save her family. "I ha-have to! Ma-Max…" Two more seconds. She had to tell them. "D-Dominators. P-please! I can't h-hurt y-you!" Kara felt her mind seize, making her forget everything that she had been told. The pain in her chest and now brain overwhelmed her, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Alex's face contorted in confusion. "Why would you hurt me, Kara? Kara?" She gently shook her sister. Getting no response, she turned to Barry. "Is she—"

He shook his head. "No. Not yet. We need to perform surgery now!"

The both of them stood, Barry calling for Cisco. Alex set her sister back onto the table she was on before, disconnecting the Kryptonite cuffs and handing them to Barry.

"Run these away as fast as you can!" she yelled.

The man zipped away running faster than he had ever before. Before Alex could blink, he was back by Kara's side and pressing his hands against the wound. Cisco charged into the room glancing at the blood around them. His eyes widened in horror. Barry left Kara with Alex taking over putting pressure on the wound.

Barry shook his friend, getting him to focus. "I need you to bring Superman here now!

Cisco nodded and raised his hand, opening a breach. Alex looked around. They were in some sort of lab that she assumed was used for dissection. She saw scalpels and clamps on a table by the side along with a EEG monitor. She attached the electrodes to Kara and heard the hauntingly slow beep. The breach opened, with Cisco dragging Clark out of the hole. The man's eyes immediately clouded up, and he ran to his cousin's side.

Alex pushed him out of the man and pointed to Barry. "Get out of my way, Clark! I need to perform surgery on her right now! Barry! Do you have any medical training?"

"I have a little, but not enough to perform surgery."

"Can you draw blood?" she asked.

"Yeah. That's the only thing I learned from Caitlin."

"Good." She grabbed a needle with a tinted green tip. "I think they used this to operate on Kara. It's a Kryptonite needle. It will pierce Clark's skin. I need you to draw his blood and get ready for a transfusion. I'm going to try to remove the bullets from her stomach. We're going to set up a direct line between Kara and Clark. Once I get these bullets out I want you to get them the hell away from here."

Oliver ran into the room, his eyes connecting with Kara's limp body. His heart constricted, and he walked over to the brunette. "What can I do?"

Alex rushed to the sink and washed her hands. "You know what. Change of plans. Barry, run to the DEO and get the solar lamps, Cisco, I want you to set up the direct transfusion line from Clark to Kara, and, Oliver, I need you as my extra pair of hands."

The group galvanized into action. Barry left, leaving a trail of lightning behind him to fetch the solar radiation lamps while Cisco sat Clark down and set up the transfusion line. Oliver leaned towards the brunette beside him, mimicking her and putting on gloves.

"Have you ever performed surgery before?" he asked, skeptically.

"No, but I am an expert on Kryptonian physiology, and I'm pretty sure I have a good enough grasp of biology to do this. You?"

"No official medical training, but I have enough knowledge about the human anatomy to torture someone and identify poisons," he offered.

Alex paled for a moment but continued arranging the tools to operate on her sister. Barry arrived two minutes later with the sun lamps from the DEO and placed them on either sides of her. He moved to turn them on, but Alex shook her head.

"We can't have her healing over the bullets. Help Cisco set up the direct line. She needs blood now!" she yelled, growing more panicked by the second.

Cisco attached the tube, and the blood slowly moved from Clark's body to Kara's. Alex sighed in relief and cut open her sister's suit. It pained her to have her sister be defiled by people as terrible as Cadmus. She saw the concerned looks on the faces around her and looked down at her almost naked little sister. She motioned for the others to wait on the other side of the room until she needed them.

Two bullets had entered Kara's abdomen. One had punctured her intestines while the other severed her vena cava. Tears wet her eyes as she worked on repairing the artery. If she didn't work fast enough, her heart would give out from loss of blood. Alex was thankful that she was able to arrive when she did but wished could have gotten here sooner to kill Lillian. She would die for what she did to her little sister.

The bullet lodged in her intestines worried her but not as much as the damage to the artery. For any normal human there was risk of bacterial inflammation that could travel through the blood stream to other parts of the body, but as soon as she got the bullets out, Kara should begin to heal, erasing any chance of it.

However, the artery was essential to Kara's heart, and if Alex didn't repair the damage in the next two minutes, the person she loved most would die right here on the same table that Cadmus desecrated her on.

Kara's heart flatlined.


	8. Chapter 8- How to Save a Life

**A/N** : Hey, y'all! I'm sorry I haven't updated. I've been away from Wi-Fi for the past 2 and a half weeks, but I'm back now! Last chapter was pretty sad, but things are gonna get better. I've had a lot of time to contemplate where I want this to go, and I've got a more specific game plan. I'm excited! This chapter is very long, the longest one yet, so consider it an "I'm sorry" apology chapter. Let's get to it!

 **Chapter 8**

Alex panicked. The monitor dragged the agonizing beep out, making her want to scream. Her sister was about to die forever, and the fate of her life was in Alex's hands. Their conversation before Kara had passed out had shown that Kara was not fighting to live. For one reason or another, involving Maxwell Lord and whatever the Dominators were, Kara had been convinced she was going to hurt those around her. It broke her heart, and she knew that her job resuscitating her had just become infinitely harder. She hadn't managed to repair the extensive damage to the artery, and any second now it would become impossible to save her without enough blood pumping through her heart. She stopped the bleeding and sutured the wound, fixing it. She saw a defibrillator in the corner of the room where Barry was and motioned for him to grab it.

In less than a second he had handed her the paddles and traveled back to the other side of the room. She charged the paddles to 200 joules.

"Clear!" she shouted, causing Oliver and Clark to back away from the table.

Kara's body shook at the electrical current, and Alex could hear the slow, steady beep of the machine again. Her chest shuttered in a shaky breath as she set the defibrillator down and continued stitching.

Clark's eyes were dark as he sat down with a needle sticking out of his arm. His body regenerated slower than usual with the small amount of Kryptonite, and he was feeling slightly light-headed at the loss of blood. Alex turned towards the sturdy man in a chair beside them and noticed the glazed look.

"Oliver, unhook the line. Let Clark heal and then take some more blood," she commanded. Oliver nodded and did as she said, detaching the needle and placing it far away from both Kryptonians.

Alex finally removed the first bullet from where it severed the vena cava and yelled for Barry. She placed the bullet in his hand, and he raced from the building to place it somewhere. He returned a minute later to his designated spot at the other side of the room.

Alex was worried about how long Kara's intestines had been open. She was afraid that the radiation in the bullet may have spread and a more dangerous, contaminated Kryptonian version of Peritonitis may have spread. If the Kryptonite managed to infect her body even the slightest bit, it would slow down her healing factor as it spread through her blood stream. It would be a painful death and one she did not want her sister to have.

Ignoring the worst case scenario, she shut off the sister part of her brain and continued working on removing the second bullet.

Barry paced from the other side of the room. He couldn't believe that this had happened. Months ago with Team Flash's fight against Savitar, the looming threat against Iris had motivated them to move against the time gradient. They had spent so long discussing ways they could change the future even a minute. The possibility of losing Iris felt like losing a limb. He thought he couldn't go on without her constantly in his life but seeing Kara made him feel like a fool. He had asked himself if he loved her and now, seeing her on the metal table being operated on while he sat by, there was no doubt in his mind. He loved her. Barry had endured so much loss in his life. His mother, father, Eddie, Laurel, and H.R. He had dealt with their deaths. Moved on with the help of his friends and time, but he didn't think that he could do that if Kara died. He didn't know if he would have the strength the continue in the life of a superhero if all that happened was death to the ones he loved the most.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't consider time travel. He thought about it each time Alex cursed as she peered into the insides of Kara. The repercussions and judgements that he had just faced from changing the past before seemed like a consequence that he could shoulder as long as Kara lived. She was a gift to Earth. Her humility. Her compassion. He admired everything about her, and he couldn't think of a happy world without Kara Danvers in it.

He consoled himself as he paced the room with thoughts of how he would murder the woman responsible. Barry had always shied away from killing, wanting to refrain from becoming those he had hated the most, but he understood that revenge was a powerful motivator. He wanted to kill her. He wanted to see the look on her face as he cut her heart with his own hand.

Joe had always been baffled by the friendship that he and Oliver had due to the difference in their methods. Oliver had killed many people before. Despite changing, Barry knew that if it came down to it, he would still kill if it meant he would save lives, and now Barry began to understand how he could do it. It was a way to cope with loss. It was a way to redeem.

Barry rubbed his face and continued his pacing. He knew that Kara wouldn't be able to look at him if he killed Lillian. She always found a way around murder and so would he. He wouldn't kill her, but he would not rest until she was thrown in a cell to rot for the rest of her pathetic, miserable life.

He had heard what Kara had said before she passed out. Something about a man named Max and the Dominators. Her voice had shaken from terror just speaking about it. She had begged her sister to let her die because she was afraid to hurt her. He couldn't understand why Kara would say that. She would never hurt her sister voluntarily. His eyes widened, and he pulled Cisco out of the room.

"What's wrong, Bar? he asked, concerned.

"It's just something Kara said. She wanted to die, Cisco," he said, his voice cracking.

"What? Why?"

"She was talking to Alex and mentioned someone named Max. She said she was afraid of hurting her, and then she said Dominators," he explained.

"Whoa, man! You mean those—"

"—yeah those," he completed.

Cisco crossed his arms and squinted his eyes in thought. "Well, during our time with the universe's suckiest aliens, she had been controlled by a machine built by the Dominators. Is that what she was talking about?"

Barry bit his lip. "I don't know. We have to figure out who this Max guy is, but I think Cadmus might have done something to her."

They both heard Alex scream Barry's name and he rushed back into the room. She was brandishing the final bullet she had managed to extract in the air. Barry ran other to her and grabbed the bullet, zipping away once more. Alex turned on the sun lamps and commanded everyone to leave the room. She cut the rest of the suit away so that she could soak up as much light as possible. Alex had to stand a few feet away from the scorching hot rays, but her eyes did not stray from Kara's limp body.

All their life she had taken Kara's amazing healing factor for granted. Her first response was to stick her under the lamps and pray everything would be alright. She had left most of the assessments and solutions to Dr. Hamilton while she got back in the field to catch the person who hurt her in the first place.

Seeing Kara laying still on the table made her wish she had spent more time in the infirmary discussing with the doctor how to fix her. She was sure she had done a good enough job to gift her sister with enough time to heal. Alex's only worry was that Kara would have a severe version of Kryptonite poisoning throughout her body.

Hours passed as Alex just stood there staring at her sister. Her eyes had not shifted once, and she had not even moved. She could see the scars of her rudimentary surgery slightly shrinking and healing, but they weren't healing at Kara's normal rate, making Alex suspicious. She had removed the stitches as the wounds began to heal over, and now she stood next to the table with the lamps on low and holding her hand. An hour later, Alex could find no traces of her ever being shot. Thankful, she quickly dressed her sister in a nightgown and opened the door.

The people on the outside nearly fell on top of each other from crowding not even an inch from the door. They group stumbled inside and took in the surroundings. Alex looked haggard as if she hadn't slept in days, and her clothes were stained with Kara's blood. Quickly, they walked over to the unconscious Kryptonian.

There were no signs of her ever being shot, and her face looked normal besides a ghostly paleness touching it. She was wearing a nightgown and looked the most fragile she ever had since each of these people had seen her.

Barry pushed through the crowd and grabbed Kara's hand. Her had waited for so long without news and had nearly burst from happiness once Alex had opened the door. Oliver had tried to persuade him to take a nap, but he had refused, wanting to be the first person to walk through the door once Alex opened it. His heart broke at the sight of Kara. He wanted to be there. He wanted to have been able to catch the bullets before they shot her as if initiating an execution. They had strapped her down and tortured her and then shot her. He couldn't wait until they caught the people who nearly killed the light in each of their lives.

Bruce walked in the room, knocking slightly before entering anyway. His face fell as they reached Kara, and he gestured outside the room.

"I brought a Wayne Enterprises Ambulance around back. We can move her to a more comfortable place in one of the rooms in my house tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to stay there. I'm sure we all have a lot to discuss. Cisco can take everyone back, and we'll move Kara the old fashioned way later. There's no telling what hopping through portals will do to someone in critical care."

The group nodded slowly as if in a trance. Each of them had known the possibilities as soon Kara was taken, but none were truly prepared for what they saw before them. Kara had affected each of their lives in a drastic way. She showed them what it meant to be a hero. Her personality and innate goodness was a beacon to all who aspired to become superheroes and to those who already were.

The group gathered together, dazed and distracted. Alex and Barry stood by the table where Kara was laying. It was sickening that the person they both loved most didn't even have the dignity of being put on a proper surgical bed.

Cisco entered the solemn room and raised his hand. The rest of the group walked through the glowing breach. He turned around, grabbing Barry's shoulder with his other hand and smiled. Taking one last glance at the three devastated people, he sighed and jumped through the portal.

Bruce cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "I'm going to go set up a place to sleep. We can move her in the morning. I'm assuming the two of you will want to stay with her for the night?

The two nodded, and the man exited the room. Alex traveled to the other side of her sister and pulled up a chair beside her. Barry released Kara's hand and copied Alex's action, finding another chair so that he could sit. The two said nothing, leaving the lone beeping of the monitor to be the only sound in the room. Alex saw the skin where Kara had been shot pulse green, and she immediately sat up straighter. The scars that had faded now began to open back up and spill blood across the table. Barry stood up quickly, the chair skittering across the floor. His haunted look sought Alex's, and she shook her head at the man.

"I-I don't know! I don't know what's happening!" she yelled, her voice raising in panic.

Barry dropped her hand as Kara's back arched and the monitor's beeps became more erratic. Tears streaked down Alex's face and her hand shook as she brought it Kara's head, stroking her hair.

"I was too late! I was too late!" she cried.

"What do you mean you were too late, Alex? What's happening?"

"I'm not sure, but I think the Kryptonite spread before I was able to get both bullets out! It must be spreading through her blood stream! It's contaminating her body and if I can't fix it in time, her organs will give out, and she will die!"

Kara's back straightened, and she fell back onto the table. The heart monitor returned to normal, allowing the both of them to take a deep breath.

"She's still fighting," she whispered. Barry's head turned, and he raised his eyebrow in question. She shook her head and continued stroking her little sister's head. "She doesn't have long. The radiation poisoning is spreading, and there's no way to prevent it."

Barry shook his head at the brunette, unable to accept the news. "I don't believe it. No. There has to be something! Why can't we just put her under sun lamps?"

"Kryptonite prevents Kryptonians from absorbing the rays from our yellow sun. Not only does it do that, which takes away their powers, it displaces the radiation in the cells with the radiation from Kryptonite," she explained.

"What can we do?"

She frowned, a tear sliding down her cheek. "We'd have to buy her time to figure out a solution. The most we can do is to lower her body temperature—"

"—so that her cells will slow down, effectively slowing the rate of the radiation poisoning," Barry finished, gaining an understanding of what Alex planned to do. "Won't that kill her?"

"It might. We'd have to be careful in our measurements to make sure we don't accidently send her into shock," she answered.

"I have a friend that can help on both fronts. She's a brilliant scientist and a metahuman too with powers that fit right into what we need."

Alex grabbed Barry's forearm and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Barry. I don't know how I could have gone through this without your help."

He nodded at her and gave a slight grin. "Let's save Kara."

The two called Bruce in from the other room and pulled Kara into the back of the ambulance. Shutting all the doors, they began the slow drive to Gotham and the Batcave. Alex picked up her phone and punched in J'onn's number. The phone beeped once before he answered, and she bit her lip unsure of what to say.

"Alex? Alex, are you there? How's Kara?" he asked frantically.

"Hey, J'onn. There's been a change of plans. I believe Kara has a form of Kryptonite poisoning. We're bringing her in now. Have Cisco open a breach to Earth-1 to bring a Caitlin Snow to the Batcave and anyone else he thinks will be useful. I want anyone on with even a slight understanding of how the body work. I need doctors, scientists, anyone who can help. Bring my mom and uncuff my dad. They're the only ones beside me who understand Kryptonian physiology."

"Alex, are you sure? Your dad may still be under a telepath's control," he said, cautious of the situation. His heart was beating faster than it ever had, and he found himself short of breath. He couldn't bear to lose another daughter, but he didn't want to make any rash decisions that they might regret later on.

"J'onn, you have to help me. Get through dad's mind and erase whatever Cadmus did," she pleaded.

He sighed into the phone, pulling it from his face and gathering his composure before slipping it back to his ear. "Alex, I already told you I can't read his mind."

Alex punched the wall of the ambulance, making both Barry and J'onn wince at the noise. "Dangit, J'onn! My sister is here fighting for her life! You have been holding out on us ever since you were caught as the Martian Manhunter by the DEO, but we can't afford it anymore; Kara can't afford it anymore!"

J'onn's face fell, and he nodded to himself. "You're right, Alex. I'll get through. I'll get through, I promise."

"Thank you," she breathed.

The two groups rushed off to their tasks, J'onn gathering everyone he could think of and running to Cisco to organize a breach to his earth to get Caitlin Snow. Barry, Alex, and Bruce sped through the traffic, breaking about a billion laws, trying to save the woman in the back.

Barry's leg bounced up and down almost at the speed of sound, making Alex raise an eyebrow. He caught her chilled glare and stopped, only to start again a few seconds later. His mind raced at amazing speeds, running through all the possible outcomes. He couldn't keep spectating from the sidelines as Kara fought for her life.

He remembered the weeks he spent with Kara when he had accidently skipped earths. He knew he had to return to stop Zoom, but he couldn't help but want to stay with the enrapturing blonde that was National City's hero. He kept up his front as the wise man who had to get back home, but the more he got to know her, the more he wanted to stay. It was almost painful when he had to leave once he had finished helping NCPD construct metahuman jails. It had taken a month in all to get the materials he needed to make power dampening cells and then incorporate it in the jails around town. Earth-38 was less advanced than his earth, and Barry had to practically teach a group of people how to operate the technology. He had stayed with Winn but spent most of his time at Kara's. They were so similar and each had found it easy to talk to the other. Their similarities were astounding and made it even harder for them when Barry finally left.

To Barry those three weeks he spent with Kara might as well have been three years. They didn't waste time with trivial topics but instead conversed about things that were important to them. Kara relayed her best and worst memories of Krypton, some that only Alex had known, and Barry told her of the night when his mother died, the days he spent getting bullied, and the wonderful moments his family spent happily together.

The inevitable reason that made it impossible for them to become anything more than friends always remained at the back of their minds. They pushed it further and further down until they didn't care that it was doomed from the start. When they were with each other, they didn't think of the relationships they were pining over. James for Kara and Iris for Barry. James and Iris didn't matter when they were talking, and it was a feeling of reciprocated love that made the two more and more interested.

It was fine, until it wasn't. 'All good things must come to an end', and the fact was proven true when Barry finally found a way to return home. The pair had known the day would come but didn't want to accept it when it did. The two had plastered fake smiles on their faces and said goodbye knowing that they probably wouldn't see each other again.

The dominators' attack on Barry's earth had brought the two together again but they never truly had the chance to catch up. Battle plans were drawn and teams were forged, and their relationship had been sidelined. Before they could even have a proper conversation, Kara found the roles reversed and she was forced to leave and return home.

Days passed as they went through their daily lives, desperately trying to forget the whole experience and the associated pain, but Barry never forgot. He often wondered what the beautiful heroine was doing and if she was thinking of him. It was maddening not being able to return to her earth to have a conversation with her. He found himself captivated by her every word, and he didn't know if it was her voice or that fact that she was the best conversationalist he knew. It was probably a mixture of both.

The same was true for Kara. She knew she felt attracted to James, but the lingering wonder that she was only so into him because of Barry's sudden absence was always at the back of her mind. Mon-El had been a different story altogether. She knew that their love was real, and it was a pairing she never dreamed would happen. However, it was love. It was a love she thought she might have with Barry but one fully attributed to the allure of the handsome Daxamite. Her heart was torn in pieces when he was forced, or rather, banished from earth due to her actions, and she didn't know if she could find someone as amazing as him.

Barry smiled at the unconscious blonde and rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of her hand. It was a calming action that kept his mind off what could happen. It kept his mind free from the fear that was quickly settling in his stomach as they pulled into the garage of Bruce's mansion.

The three worked in silence to pull Kara from the back of the ambulance, into the house, and then into a room. A group of people quietly entered the room and stood off to the side as they worked, hooking up wires and setting up machines. When they had finally finished, they sat facing the people eagerly waiting for an update at the circular table that was now bulging with people.

Alex looked from Bruce to Barry who both nodded towards her to start the conversation.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Alex Danvers. I haven't met a lot of you, and I know this is a lot to ask of you all, but I need your help. Four days ago, a government agency, with the help of Supergirl, was given a lead to a possible alliance between Cadmus, solo act criminals, and someone else with deep pockets. They forged a group of sorts that unites anyone who ever ran into trouble with the law and gave them a common goal. Three days ago Barry Allen jumped universes and told us of his earth having more or less the same problem. Two days ago at 1800 hours, we were attacked in four different places leading to Supergirl being kidnapped by Cadmus at 2200 hours. She was held by them and tortured at their hand." Her voice caught in her throat, and Barry slipped his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her, continuing the debriefing himself.

"While she was taken, we were united with some of you all from Earth-1. After a slight misunderstanding, we picked up signatures matching Kryptonite. We took a group to investigate and found Supergirl shot with two bullets and tortured at approximately 1700 hours last night. Before she passed out, she mentioned something about Dominators and Maxwell Lord. We have yet to figure out the connection between the two, but we will find out. As of right now, Supergirl's condition is critical, and she has a fatal form of Kryptonite poisoning. Due to her alien physiology and the mineral's unknown composition, we don't have any leads on how to help her. However, we are going to lower her body temperature to prevent the radiation poisoning from spreading further. We need anyone with scientific background to help. Those of you who can't, can assist Oliver and Bruce to find Cadmus and the person who's in charge. Let's go!" he yelled, prompting them into action.

Two groups splintered off down the middle of scientists and those who were not. Barry and Alex gave each other a slight grin, and led their group to a lab next to the room where Kara was. The two rooms were only separated with a pane of glass, allowing them to keep an eye on the incapacitated heroine.

Alex turned to look at the group in front of her. She didn't recognize a lot of them, but she didn't care. She found that Kara's safety trumped any other feelings she might otherwise feel. Alex saw a woman with white hair who looked young, probably about her age. Her eyes were kind, and she gestured to her. The woman stepped towards the secret agent and held out her hand. Alex nodded and shook it.

"What's your name?"

"Caitlin Snow. Cisco said you needed my help," she started.

Alex's eyes brightened. "Yes! I need you to lower Supergirl's body temp. We need to basically freeze her. I was told you can do that?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's a long story. I can, but it's a risky thing to do. If I'm even one degree off, I could kill her."

"Then don't be one degree off," she stated, ending the conversation. She was on edge, not sure who most of these people were and if were competent for the job ahead. It was nerve racking, and tiring to worry this much. She pulled her parents off to the side as Barry organized the others.

"Mom. Dad. I'm so sorry," she began, her voice cracking.

Eliza tugged her daughter into a hug with Jeremiah wrapping his arms around the both of them. "Shh, shh, it's okay! Alex, honey, I know you're doing your best," Eliza said, rubbing her back. "Kara's strong. Both my daughters are."

Jeremiah sucked in his lip and turned his eyes down in shame. "Alex, don't blame yourself. It's my fault. I should've been able to fight it. I should've been able to do something," he argued.

Alex shook her head and rubbed at her eyes. "No. No. This is Cadmus's fault. We can't blame ourselves. We can't. We can only help Kara." She turned to her father. "Did J'onn get rid of whatever Cadmus did?"

He nodded and smiled. "Yes. He did. I'm free." His eyes softened. "Alex, have you considered maybe it's her time to travel to Rao's light?"

Alex stepped away from him, shocked. "No, dad! And I refuse to believe that! I can't lose her! We are going to find a way to save her! She's going to be smiling at us like this whole thing never happened!"

The two nodded at their eldest and pulled into one last hug. They shared one last saddened smile before they moved to a computer to run simulations. The main issue was to rid her body of the Kryptonite. They needed to neutralize its effects so that Kara's body could absorb the necessary yellow sun rays, but there was currently no way to do it. The Kryptonite was basically a virus of its own and was hijacking the cells in her body. They needed a canceling factor.

* * *

Oliver stared at the screens in front of him, the words jumbling together in a confusing fashion. He couldn't think straight. Oliver had lost people he cared about time and time again, but it never got easier. The pain. The loss. It stuck with him each night he decided to risk his life as a vigilante, and he could never forget the sacrifice his loved ones had made for him. The sacrifices they had made for others. Kara was no different. She had the inner goodness that he had known only a few to have. It seemed to be the root of her personality. The two had never had a deep conversation, but that much was evident just from her being in the same room as him. He wished he could have put everyone on the task of finding Cadmus and their benefactor. However, he wasn't stupid. Wally and Jay had stayed to watch over Central City along with Jesse, Julian, and the Hawks who had decided to assist. He had Rene, Curtis, Nyssa, and Dig in Star City, and the rest were here.

They had quite the group to work with on both sides. With him and Bruce they had J'onn, Mick, Nate, Amaya, Sara, Thea, Clark, Felicity, Stein, and Jax. Alex and Barry had taken the others which consisted of Caitlin, Cisco, Eliza, Jeremiah, and Ray. The two teams were well supplied and eager to help on both sides. Felicity, with the help of someone named Winn, had set up an algorithm that would detect any sudden radiation bursts, attacks, or anything out of the normal activity. They were currently combing the traffic cameras for anything that could give them a lead while Bruce and Oliver discussed plans for attack.

"What exactly can your people do?" he asked, curious.

"I have a team of people who are masters in hand-to-hand combat, a few metahumans, and one pyromaniac," Oliver answered.

Bruce's eyebrows shot up. "Alright. If we go on a mission, who would you want with you?"

"I would take Kara's cousin, you, Sara, J'onn, and I would pull Barry away. The rest I would leave to hold down the fort and protect Kara."

Bruce nodded. "Okay. That's who we take. I don't know most of these people, but I trust your assessment. I need to call a few people. If this gets out of hand, I want to make sure I have backup."

"Who?" he questioned.

"Let's just say the world saving type. I'm going to propose an idea to them." Seeing the curious look in the other man's eyes, he continued. "I told a few others that I think it would be best if we joined together under a united front. You could establish something similar on your earth."

"And if something like this happens?" he countered. "What if it affects both of our earths?"

He laughed. "You have someone who can open breaches to different earths. I'm sure it won't be that hard to figure out."

Oliver pondered the logistics of forming whatever Bruce had in mind. Barry had been given the hanger that they had used to fight the dominators by the late Harrison Wells and there was an endless amount of things they could do with it. It could be formatted to be their base of operations if they wanted. It was a good idea, and as soon as this horror show passed, it would be beneficial for them to explore it some more.

They both stood up and shook hands, moving to check up on the two tech geniuses that were monitoring the world for any sign of trouble.

* * *

Alex twirled her pen thinking of possible scenarios. Kryptonite. It was radioactive. A mineral from Krypton. Her brain made a list of the factors and characteristics of Kryptonite, hoping to find some kind of answer. She didn't know if the minerals were made radioactive after the explosion, if they were radioactive before the explosion, or if they were just minerals on Krypton. She couldn't ask Clark because he wasn't born on the planet and the archives in his fortress only brought him so far. They only person who could help her was Kara. It was a frustrating process that made her want to claw her eyes out.

If minerals from Krypton were made radioactive from the explosion, then she would have to find a mineral of the opposite effect. Her brain was fried from the past couple of days, and she knew she wasn't at her best. She could hear Barry and Cisco fighting in the corner about what the effects of dousing her in red sunlight would do. Everyone was on edge and ready for this nightmare to be over, but it wasn't that easy.

They didn't have nearly enough knowledge on Kryptonian physiology and any of Krypton's technology was light-years ahead of Earths. She thought that between her, Eliza, and Jeremiah they would be able to navigate the biological factors in Kara, but they were grossly out of their league. They had never delved deep into research of Kryptonite because agents were forbidden from even looking at it. They had kept it under lock and key as a precautionary measure not a scientific experiment. The only time they had been able to study Kryptonite was when the DEO has needed to find a cure that would neutralize Bizarro.

Her eyes lit up. Bizarro. The opposite Kara. The Green Kryptonite had made her stronger unlike with Kara, and they had constructed Blue Kryptonite to incapacitate her. Maxwell Lord had assisted them making it, and it had done the job. They had never known what it would do to Kara, but if her suspicions were correct, it might make her stronger. If that were the case, Kara would be able to heal quickly as if under sun lamps. Excited, she ran from the lab and down the hall towards the room where J'onn was. Pushing her shoulder on the door, she ran inside and dragged J'onn out.

"What is it, Alex? Did you find a cure?" he asked, hope brewing in his mind.

"I think so. I need Blue Kryptonite," she said.

"Blue Kryptonite?"

"Yes she said," nearly hopping from excitement. "I have an idea. Do we still have some from when we took down Bizarro?"

He shook his head. "No. It was a rush job and Max Lord only had time to make just enough to take her down. We do have the chemical makeup written in the DEO archives. It was high risk information so only I have the authorization to search for it."

Frustrated, Alex waved her hands trying to get him to hurry up. "What is it, J'onn? Are you really pulling rank right now?"

"No, Alex. I mean that I need to give my fingerprint to you in order for you to access the information, and you can only access it on a DEO computer," he explained.

"Are you kidding? We have to go to National City to get the information on how to make Blue Kryptonite," she repeated, incredulous.

"Yes. I can fly us there."

She chuckled. "Why can't we just have Cisco open a breach to the DEO?"

"After Barry left, I had metahuman power dampeners built into the walls of the structure to keep anyone from popping in and out of our facility."

"Great. That's just great. Let's go."

J'onn nodded and grabbed onto Alex's waist. The two took to the air, rushing to National City. They made it to the DEO thirty minutes later, anxious to get the instructions and save Kara already. They sprinted to the computer where Vasquez was typing and motioned for her to scoot back. J'onn pressed his finger to the panel and unlocked the data, printing off a sheet for Alex. Relieved, the two rushed back to Gotham City, making it back to the Batcave and opening the door to the lab.

Alex's eyes widened when she saw that the room was empty. Turning around, her eyes connected through the glass with the group of scientists that were trying to save Kara's life. Pushing through the door and the room of people, she gripped the piece of paper hard, almost ripping it.

"What the hell happened?!" she screamed to anyone, hoping for an answer.

"She just started seizing and her skin started turning green. We're running out of time! She doesn't have long before her heart gives out from the strain!" Eliza responded, her eyes wild.

Alex pulled Barry and Cisco aside and handed him the crumpled piece of paper. "Barry, I need you to make this as fast as possible. Cisco, I need you to run simulations based on this and tell me what it's going to do to her." The two nodded and ran off to the other room, Barry only slightly visible to the human eye. Alex pushed her way to Caitlin. "How much longer does she have?"

"I'm amazed she's already survived 12 hours! She's definitely fighting. She doesn't have long. I'd say she has an hour left before her heart gives out from the poisoning," she answered, torn at what she was relaying to Alex.

Alex nodded and pulled up a chair. "Alright. I'm going to stay here with her just in case. Everyone else needs to help Barry and Cisco with the simulations and chemistry."

They galvanized into action, leaving Alex alone with her sister. She turned around, making sure she was alone and put her mouth close to Kara's ear.

"Kara, you need to fight. We're doing all we can, just hang on a little longer." A tear slipped from Alex's eye, dropping onto the bed. "You have made me so happy. I couldn't imagine a life without you as my sister. I remember resenting you, and now the memory seems so ridiculous. You made my life better. I know what I said. I know what we've been through, what you've been through. I didn't mean what I said when Dad came back. You mean so much to me, Kara. So much. Please. I can't live without you. The world needs you. Your family needs you. I need you." Her voice cracked, and she paused. "Kara, I can't imagine how hard it was to live your life, but I know that you are the most important thing I have in mine. I love you, Kara, but I can't do this if you won't try. Try. Live. There is so much to live for."

Tears were flowing freely down her face as she stroked the hair away from Kara's eyes. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to lose her. Minutes passed as she just sat next to her little sister, waiting for what came next. Her brain flicked through each memory she had with Kara, good and bad, that had shaped them to be who they were today.

 _"Alex, you'll always be there for me, right? I mean, I know you're heading off to college while I'm stuck here, but-" Kara started._ _"Kara! I'll always be there!" She stood up and wrapped her ams around the girl who had become her best friend. "Just call me and I'll be there to fight off all the stupid people who don't even try to get to know you better before picking on you."_ _She smiled at her. "Thanks, Alex. I know it's kind of pathetic, but my greatest fear is being alone."_ _Alex's heart broke at the vulnerability that Kara was showing her. "Oh, Kara. There are going to be times when I can't be there for you. It's just life. It's what's going to make you who you are, but I promise you. I'll always be there when it counts the most."_ _"Alex, I love you," Kara said, squeezing her. "I hope college goes well for you."_ _She smiled and squeezed her back. "Thanks. I love you too, Kara."_

Alex was interrupted from her thoughts when Cisco burst through the door, making Alex jump to her feet. He ran over to her holding a small tablet.

"Alex! I finally ran the simulation you needed!"

"And?" she prompted.

"I mean, I'm not too up to date on the newest in Kryptonian biology, but I think I have a good grasp of it. Well, it's like a sort of grasp of it, not really like you and Eliza and—"

"Cisco!" she yelled.

"Sorry. I mean, this Bizarro you guys fought. I was told that when she was shot with pure Kryptonite, she went berserk, and her face cracked open and stuff." Alex nodded. "Well, the Blue Kryptonite Maxwell Lord made would essentially do the same thing. You know opposites and all."

Alex gave him an exasperated look, urging him to speak faster.

"Alright, alright! Well we tweaked it, and we came up with a safer version. Good news, it will take away the effects of the Green Kryptonite; bad news, it will also take away her powers."

"So that means—" she asked.

"—it means that it will nullify the effects of the radiation poisoning, but she will be healing at a human rate. Green Kryptonite takes away the yellow sun radiation that Kara naturally absorbs and replaces its own harmful radiation. Blue Kryptonite takes away the effects of Green Kryptonite and it takes away her powers by adapting her cells to that of a human. No superhuman powers, no superhuman healing," he explained, his face scrunched in an apology.

Alex nodded at the information. "Alright. We still have to do it." She saw her mother enter the room out of the corner of her eye and shifted her body to make room.

"Honey, Kara has the immune system of an infant. She was never given antibiotics, medicine of any sorts, or a shot of any kind. She really doesn't have an immune system that fits with us. She has some basics, but Krypton was so advanced that no one really got sick. If we do this, she won't die of Kryptonite poisoning, but she might die of something as simple as a fever."

Alex put her fists to her forehead in an attempt to ward off the headache that was inevitably making its way to her brain. "We have to. She doesn't have long. Get Barry in here. I want this place clean and scrubbed clean. I want there to be absolutely no germs of any kind. Anyone who wants to come in has to wear a hazmat suit."

The two nodded at her, agreeing with the course of action she was taking. "How long until we can take her off the Blue Kryptonite and have the Green Kryptonite poisoning be flushed from her system?"

"I don't know, sweetie. We're in uncharted territory. I don't know if it will just delay the inevitable by keeping her around Blue K, or if her body will ever become strong enough that she can fight it on her own. Radiation poisoning doesn't really just go away, and some of her organs were severely affected by it. Her powers allow her to heal completely and thoroughly and without that, there's only so far she will heal before her body can't anymore. She'll be human like us. She'll have the scars of the surgery and the pain, everything. We might be able to liquefy it and flush it through her system. That might get rid of the poisoning, but it also might get rid of her powers forever," Eliza said.

"What if we flush her systems with Blue K and then immediately put her under sun lamps?" Cisco added, an idea coming together in his mind.

"Yes, that just might work. Thank you, Cisco."

Alex smiled at the two, hope stirring in her heart. "Okay, guys. Let's get to it!"

They scurried off, Barry sweeping through the room like a tornado and cleaning while the rest attempted to create a Blue K serum to inject into her system. The sun lamps were set beside her just in case, and the process was run through the simulation technology a dozen times before they were ready. There was no telling what this might do to her, and Alex was almost ready to chew off the end of her pencil in her stressed state. There was a chance that she might be hindered for the rest of her life with the mark of Cadmus forever on her. It broke her heart, and she wished she had never taken Kara's amazing healing factor for granted. Their plan was solid. For the sake of her sanity she had to believe that.

Caitlin dressed in the required suit and carried the needle into the room. She gave a thumbs up to Ray who was monitoring her brain activity and slowly walked to the unconscious blonde's side. Raising the needle, she took a deep breath and plunged its point into her skin. Wincing the entire time, she pressed the end, deploying its contents into her body.

The greenish tint that had seemed to cover her whole body flashed blue for a second before returning to its shade. She started the IV drip in hopes of flushing her body full of nutrients to help rid the body of the Blue K after it had done its job.

Kara looked almost dead, shocking her the most. She remembered the fight against the dominators and how she believed that the pretty new team member was basically indestructible. It was a lesson to all of them that no matter how powerful you were; you always had limits that could throw your life to hell.

It was sickening seeing all the wires and tubes sticking out of her body as if she was some sort of science project. They had to place a breathing tube down her throat once her lungs had faltered slightly to help her body's respiratory functions. She had an IV and electrodes stuck to her to monitor brain activity, and Caitlin couldn't help but think she was dead. Caitlin didn't want to believe that the Girl of Steel had been brought to her knees after being tortured by a ruthless organization hell bent of eradicating any alien that had stepped onto Earth's soil. She didn't deserve any of this.

Caitlin turned on the lamps, placing them on a low setting. She walked back to the lab and shut the door, pressing the button that sealed it. She took off the helmet and stood next to Ray, waiting for his assessment.

"Huh," he muttered.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. For some reason I'm seeing traces of nanobots in her brain," he explained, confused.

"Are they doing anything?"

"No. No. I think Cadmus placed them there for some reason, but the jokes on them. Their circuitry was frozen and destroyed when you lowered her body temp. Whatever they were supposed to do, they can't do it now."

Caitlin sighed in relief. "That's good. Are there still traces of Blue Kryptonite in her system?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. However, anything the Green K was doing, stopped. It's working. Now it's just up to her body to heal naturally until the Blue K leaves her system and we can flood her body with sunlight."

"Ray, how long do you think it will take for her to fully recover in human terms?" she questioned.

"Hard to say. Without any superhuman help, that would probably be a month or so. That would be enough time to heal what could heal. After that, she'd have to have 12 more months of physical therapy, and she should would want to see a trauma specialist. Her organs faced some serious damage, so I would say she would always be in some sort of pain whether she be breathing or even moving. The injuries she came with in addition to the gunshot wounds were pretty extensive too. No one really mentioned them because there were other things that were more serious to deal with, but she came in with 2 broken ribs, a mild concussion, a torn kneecap, extensive bruising along the face, and a hairline fracture to her left radius. She was not in good shape. If she heals the way a human does, she won't be the same. Cadmus tortured her, and then left her for dead." He turned to look at the screen. "But by the looks of this, I'm not sure what their plan was."

They waited hours and hours for her to wake up. Usually it was Barry and Alex by her bed, holding on to her hands and talking to her to keep her company. Barry would leave every once in a while to bring food, but Alex never left her side. She promised that she would be there for her, and she had no intention of breaking it. The rest of the group cycled in and out, coming and going. Bruce and Oliver had not found anything to give them a good enough lead to chase after, and they were getting more and more frustrated.

Seven hours later, Alex jumped when she heard someone cough in the room. Groggily, she pushed her fists in her eyes and rubbed away the sleepy feeling she felt. Her mind quickly woke up as she saw Kara shift in the bed and cry out in pain. They had removed her breathing tube, as her O2 levels slowly rose into a more comfortable level for her to breathe on her own. Alex grabbed at her hand, and her back straightened as she stared into her sister's crystal blue eyes.

"Kara? Kara, wake up," she said, squeezing her hand lightly.

"A-Al-Alex? Where am I?" She coughed and grabbed at her chest, letting go of her hand. "What happened? Why does everything hurt?" She winced and closed her eyes as the pain set in.

"Shh, shh. Calm down, Kara. You were with Cadmus. We found you and rescued you. You've been out for a really long time. How dare you worry us all," she accused, making Kara chuckle and then grab her stomach.

"Oh yeah. That's me. Always trying to worry you." Alex saw her eyes widen in panic, and she quickly grabbed her hand to calm her.

"Hey, hey! Calm down! It's not good to stress yourself out. What's wrong?"

"Alex, Cadmus did things. They put nanobots in my brain, they wanted me to hurt you!" Her eyes narrowed. "Wait, why do I remember that?"

"It's alright. Ray Palmer already found the nanobots. They were flushed out of your system after their circuity was destroyed. You're fine. The only thing you have to worry about it getting better," Alex answered.

Kara glanced at the lamps above her. "Why does everything hurt, Alex? Shouldn't I have healed already?"

Alex's face fell and Kara lowered her head, trying to get Alex to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry, Kara. There's so much I have to tell you."

* * *

Maxwell Lord slammed his tablet to the ground in anger. His plan. His ideas. They had all been ruined because Lillian Luthor had gotten too excited while torturing her. She had shot her, and the whole plan he had in mind had crumbled before him. He should have learned that he couldn't rely on others to finish the job when it was so important to him. He should have handled the whole situation by himself.

Max moved to enter a building but was thrown off his feet and onto the concrete ground. His head slammed against the side of the building, and he could feel the blood trickling down his face. He clamored to his feet and faced his opponent.

"Maxwell Lord," the man said, grabbing onto his shirt and lifting him off the ground. "You seem to have failed at your mission. My employer has very high expectations, and you should be thankful that I am staining the ground with your blood. It is fortunate that my employer thought well into the future and has a definite plan for your mishap. Therefore, it is of no consequence that you failed. Despite the fact that we have a better grasp of your limitations and how you have failed, I feel it is necessary to give you another chance and equip you with something that might assist you while you and my mother try not to botch our whole endeavor."

"You're Lex Luthor," he gasped, trying to suck in a breath.

"I am merely a strong believer in what my employer has to offer. I, however, am competent enough to complete my missions." He slammed the man back to the ground, making him grunt at the pain.

Max could only see the back of his suit as he walked away, and he attempted to pull himself back to his feet. He felt something stick onto his head and unfold more parts, each one pressing a needle into his skull. He screamed in pain and fell back to the ground as he grasped at the device, trying to pull it off. His eyes lolled back into his head, and he fell back to the ground, unconscious.


	9. Chapter 9- Discovering Something Old

**A/N:** Hey, y'all! I hope you guys liked the last chapter. It was a hefty one with a lot happening, but I hope it wasn't too long. If it was, please tell me and I will try to shorten them. This one is going to be mostly transitional, so you won't see too much fighting. I've had a few guest reviews ask me to bring Roy back, so all I have to say to that is that I have something in mind. I only ask that you bear with me just a little longer. (yes I'm evil). Onto the next chapter!

 **Chapter 9**

Kara sat back on her bed, her head spinning from the information dump that Alex had just laid on her. It was brain breaking and unbelievable. She shifted and groaned from the pain. Well, not completely unbelievable. Her body ached from everything that she had endured at the hands of Cadmus. The Blue Kryptonite had not been flushed, and that meant she was not going to be healing fast like usual. Alex had told her that even if any evidence of Blue K in her system had vanished, she still wouldn't have her powers. The amount of solar radiation in her cells had been severely depleted, and it would take days to fully restore it.

It was agonizing. She hated sitting in this bed while Oliver and Bruce searched for the people that were responsible for her condition. She wanted to help. Kara wasn't used to being sidelined. She had always been the one running point and catching the bad guys. It was who she was. Sleeping and waiting to get better did nothing to appease the heroic nature of her personality.

She had met so many people since she had awoken. It was touching to see all the people that had jumped universes just to make sure she was okay. Alex visited daily several times whereas the others filtered in and out to make sure she was recovering smoothly. Caitlin Snow was often in her room, monitoring all of her vitals and injuries. The two chatted often and had quickly become friends. The two women were able to bond easily, having several things in common. It was an unlikely friendship, but one that Kara had come to appreciate as she stayed, quarantined, in her room. Oliver checked up on her a lot, giving her updates on their searches for Cadmus and just keeping her company.

Kara slammed her head lightly on the pillow. She needed to get out of this room. It had only been a couple days, but she was slowly going insane. Most of all, she wanted to see Barry. He hadn't visited her other than to tell her he was glad she hadn't died after Alex had left. Oliver had told her that Barry had been running around the city, scouring it for any breadcrumb to follow that would lead them to Cadmus. He told her he was worried he was overworking himself and would crash. She was confused that he wouldn't visit her, and she wondered if he was upset. Kara wanted to clear the air, but the only way to do so was to escape her room which might as well have been prison. Alex kept a close watch on the room to make sure no one slipped in unnoticed and because she knew her sister. She knew that Kara was slowly going crazy just sitting in this white walled, undecorated room and was afraid that she would pull a disappearing act and leave.

Kara sighed. She felt slightly better although nowhere near one hundred percent. Her ribs were wrapped, taking away some of the pain. Her head still hurt and felt like someone was pressing on her skull from inside her brain, but she was beginning to not care. Her arm was braced, taking the weight off of it, and she felt like she was safe to leave the room. Alex had explained that she could get sick, but ever since she had woken up, Caitlin had pumped her full of enough antibiotics and medicine to make up for the 13 years she hadn't taken any. Kara felt she was healthy enough to at least wheel herself around the complex. She definitely couldn't walk, no matter how much she told herself she could. Her kneecap was broken and even shifting in the bed made her want to scream in pain.

Comforting herself in her mind, she pulled her body to the edge of the bed ignoring the searing pain she felt. She reached with her right hand to grab a rolling chair Caitlin used when checking up on her. She pulled the chair around in front of her and bit her lip. Kara took a deep breath and pushed the rest of her body off the bed and into the chair. A slight scream escaped her lips as her leg, arm, and ribs were jolted when she hit the padded seat. Her vision swam, and she had to take deep breaths to calm the seemingly permanent migraine that her concussion gave her. Using her good leg, she spun the chair around and pushed with her leg towards the door. She reached her arm to the handle and pressed it down, opening it. A small gasp slipped from her mouth as she stared into the furious eyes of her older sister.

Alex walked forward, forcing Kara to back up. Her eyes practically bore holes into the sheepish Kryptonian as she held up her hands in a surrendering gesture. Alex's eyebrows rose in a challenge.

"Please tell you're sleepwalking, and you're not actually stupid enough to do what you're doing right now," Alex accused, her voice hard.

"Alex, come on! I've been cooped up in this room for three days now. I want to get out! I'm going insane!" she complained.

"Kara, you're being ridiculous. Caitlin and Ray told me you shouldn't even be sitting up in your bed." She gestured to the chair. "And here you are hopping into chairs thinking that you weren't near death just a couple days ago."

Kara pursed her lips at her. "I know, I know. Please. I need to see something other than these stupid walls."

Her face softened. "Kara, I nearly lost you. It was the worst two days of my life. Please, for my sake, stay in bed." Her eyes connected with Kara's and saw the dooming puppy dog look she always pulled out when she wanted something. "Curse you. Fine. I'll just get a motorized, and I emphasize motorized, wheelchair for you to use."

She smiled. "Thanks, Alex. For now, can you push me around in this chair? I'm not kidding. I really want to get out."

Alex grinned. "Yes, I will."

She grabbed the back of the chair and gently pushed it out of the room and down the hall. Her eyes never strayed from where Kara's legs where, to make sure she didn't accidently slam them into a wall or something. She wheeled her down to the conference room where Bruce had set up an oval table that they used to discuss important situations. She pulled one of the chairs away from the table and replaced it with the one Kara was in, ignoring the shocked looks on all of the people's faces.

Kara smiled and awkwardly waved towards the people crowding the table. "Hi, guys. How are you?"

Barry stood and cautiously walked over to the determined blonde. "Kara? Should you be out of your room?"

She rolled her eyes. "Probably not, but I was going crazy in there. I want to be a part of the conversations going on here."

Oliver, Barry, and Bruce exchanged looks. "Okay then," they responded, uneasy.

Barry returned to his chair and sat, letting Bruce continue. "Felicity, Winn, and Cisco have been monitoring all of the traffic camera's in Gotham, Metropolis, and National City. Yesterday, they picked up footage showing Maxwell Lord and someone talking. The other man remained in a shadowed part of the alley, and the camera never got a good look at who he was taking to. It showed the two talking when the other one slammed Lord to the ground. He walked away leaving Lord, but put something on the back of his neck. The device is unknown, but it is shown expanding into different parts, each one sticking a needle into his head."

Kara winced. "Could this possibly be who is funding them?"

Oliver nodded. "Most likely. Like Bruce was saying, Lord was shown to be in significant pain, but about one minute later he straightened and walked out of there like nothing ever happened."

Alex's eyes narrowed in anger. "Where is he now?"

"He was shown to return to his company the next morning. According to our sources, he hasn't left," he answered.

"That's great! Alex and I can go confront him and make him tell us where Cadmus is, or who is behind all of this," Barry exclaimed, glad that they finally had a lead to run down.

J'onn nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Alex raised her eyebrows. "I thought you would be worried about us breaking the law."

He scoffed. "A week ago, sure. Now," he said, shrugging, "now I don't care."

Bruce raised his hand, trying to get them to wait. "Be careful. I know you two are emotionally connected to the situation more than the rest of us, so it actually might be better if I or Oliver go. I don't want to make a mistake that will jeopardize anything we might want to do in the future."

Alex and Barry laughed. "Yeah right," she said. "There's no way I'm going to step down."

"Me either," Barry chorused.

Bruce sighed and nodded for them to go. Alex leaned down and gave Kara a swift hug, whispering into her ear. "I'll get Caitlin to take you back to your room. Please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Kara merely smiled at her and motioned for her to leave.

Alex and Barry exited the room, practically leaping from excitement. For days they had waited for a lead that would allow them to get revenge for what had happened to Kara. Alex knew that Bruce was probably right, and she didn't want to make an irrational decision. Her blood boiled at the thought of Max Lord torturing her, and she knew she had to remain emotionless if she was going to get anything out of the man. It killed her inside, but she couldn't afford any more mistakes.

Barry picked up Alex, bridal style, and ran the two of them to National City, outside the block where Lord Technologies resided. They glanced at the other and took a deep breath, pushing the double doors open. The secretary at the front looked up from the computer, her eyes wide. She stood from her chair and called out to them.

"Are you Alex Danvers?" she asked, her voice shaking.

She frowned at the woman and looked to Barry who shrugged. "Yes, I am. Why?"

"Mr. Lord is waiting for you in his office. He told me to usher you in right away. If you would take the elevator to the second floor, his office is at the end of the hall," she explained.

Alex nodded. "Thank you."

Her stomach churned, immediately on guard from the new development. If Max was expecting her, there was no telling what would happen. He was smart, she would give him that, but he would not get the best of her again. She remembered how he had planted a device on her purse, and the anger she felt at not seeing it before he discovered Kara's secret identity. She would have to be smarter this time and untethered to any emotions she felt while they talked..

The two took the elevator to the second floor and stopped at the double doors near the end of the hall. Barry gave her an encouraging smile, and she pushed the doors open. Max looked up from his papers and smiled at the woman.

"Agent Danvers! I would say it's a surprise, but it's really not," he told her, standing up. He looked towards Barry and smiled. "And you. Barry Allen. Anyone else would be confused on how a man who died, along with his family, when he was 11 years old in a terrible murder would be standing here right now." He stepped towards the tall man. "But we both know how."

Barry snapped and grabbed the man by his suit. "Stop playing around. Where's Cadmus?"

Max laughed. "Whoa there, Flash! This isn't the calm and compassionate hero I've been told about! What happened?"

Barry slammed him against his desk. "You know good and well what happened. Where. Is. Cadmus. I won't ask again."

He smiled and waved his pointer finger at the man. "You'll just have to wait and see. I'm not telling you anything just yet."

Alex ran forward, pulling her gun from its holster and pressing the barrel against his throat, making Barry release him. "Stop speaking in riddles! You nearly killed her!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

He clicked his tongue. "Now that wasn't me. I admit, I did help, but I did not pull the trigger."

"Who was it then?" Barry asked.

"Lillian Luthor. She enjoyed it too. If I'm not mistaken, it was her along with a few others who spectated while she tortured her."

Alex's anger flared. "Why, Max? Why did they do that?"

"You see, she needed her blood. Torturing was just a more fun way of doing so, if I recall correctly. After the DEO destroyed her facilities, she lost all of the blood she obtained from Kara when she had leveraged Mon-El. She needed more."

Alex pressed the barrel harder into his skin. "Why?"

"She said it was a new project Cadmus was working on. A new experiment."

"What's it called?" she urged.

"I don't really know. Nothing or nohow, something like that. I wasn't listening very hard."

"What do you know, Max?" Alex asked, exasperated.

"I know who she reports to. I know a small portion of their plans. I know how to save Kara. I know a lot of things," he answered, smiling at the two.

"Wait, what do you mean you know how to save Kara?" Barry demanded.

"Mr. Allen, if my intel is correct, which it usually is, I am under the impression that you have been unable to clear her system of Blue Kryptonite." He turned to Alex. "I am very impressed, truly, but you failed in one aspect. Your synthetic Blue K was altered and though you thought you were helping, you actually made her condition a bit more serious. You see, the longer she has the Blue Kryptonite in her system, the more her injuries become permanent. Your version didn't exactly eradicate the Green Kryptonite, but it instead merged with it."

"What?" Alex questioned, fear building.

"It means that Blue Kryptonite takes away her powers; the Green Kryptonite harms her. Together they mixed and formed a Cyan Kryptonite. It didn't quite cancel each out. Pure Green Kryptonite could always be taken out of her body, and then Kara would heal under yellow sun rays without the effects ever showing. Pure Blue Kryptonite nullifies the effects of Green K but takes away the use of her powers. Our new version of Kryptonite, if crafted into a weapon, would make any cut she had, permanent."

Barry and Alex's eyes widened in horror. "How?!"

"The amount of Green K in her system was astounding. In fact, she should have died within five minutes of being shot; she had been exposed to too much radiation. Your Blue K was not enough to overpower it, but it instead, was overpowered itself. The Blue K has amazing healing powers when crafted right, and your team made a valiant effort. Her body pulled together, making new tissue to replace the infected areas, but it healed over the Green Kryptonite. Kara still has Kryptonite poisoning. It's not going to kill her; it's merely going to make her injuries heal as though she were human. She will have a limp, some headaches, and maybe some throbbing here and there unless you get the Cyan Kryptonite out of her system right now."

Alex shook the gun against his throat. "How?! Tell us how!"

He smiled at them. "It might be too late, but I'm in a good mood." He reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a vial. "Pure Blue K in a perfect dose to heal her body. It has some extra things in it to make sure the serum is flushed from her body within the next hour after given to make sure she gets her powers back." He held the item out to Barry who took it, wrapping a fist around it tightly.

"Why are you helping us?" he asked, wary of Max's sudden change of heart.

"There are some things you don't have to know. I owe her. Though I agree with some of Cadmus's beliefs, I never wanted her dead." He checked his clock. "You gave it to her quite a while ago. You're running out of time."

Alex cursed and removed the gun from his neck. "I'll be back to shove you in a cell where you belong."

He winked at her. "Wouldn't count on it. I am a billionaire. Quite a few people would notice my absence."

Alex dialed Cisco, the man picking up three beeps later. "Alex? What's up?" The two ran to the first floor, not bothering to take the elevator. They stopped in a small alley next to the building, checking to make sure no one was around.

"Open a breach from outside Lord Technologies. We need to get to Kara."

"Why? What's wrong?" Cisco asked, sensing her fear.

"No time for questions! Just open the breach!" she yelled.

The man muttered a yes and then disconnected, opening a small breach. In less than a second, both Barry and Alex appeared in front of him. Barry zoomed from sight, only becoming a blur with a noticeably slower Alex following behind him.

* * *

Kara rolled her eyes at Caitlin. "C'mon, Cait! Stop trying to poke me with things! I'm fine." She shrugged. "Well, at least I was fine until you started sticking needles in me."

Caitlin sighed at the blonde in front of her. "I need to see if you have any more Kryptonite in your body, so sit still!"

Kara flopped her head onto the pillow, closing her eyes as Caitlin took yet another vial of blood for analysis. She had been running tests ever since Barry and Alex had left to have their little chat with Max, and Kara was just about ready to fully embrace the insanity she was starting to feel. She understood the medical need for the examinations, but she didn't want to admit that she was afraid.

Cadmus had experimented on her, often drawing blood, if she was lucky, through syringes. She didn't want to experience anything that reminded her of the day she spent in Cadmus's custody. Kara had never endured that much pain, and she wasn't use to not being immediately shoved under a sun lamp when she did injure herself. She had come to rely on it as an easy way to heal, and she wasn't sure what to do without it.

Caitlin's insistence on tests made her nervous, and she found herself not wanting to tell her that she felt weird, fearing an overdramatic response. The truth was, she had been feeling weird all morning, and it wasn't something she attributed to her mass of injuries. It was almost a sickening feeling in the middle of her stomach. She had been assured that all the Green Kryptonite had been cleared from her body, but the feeling was eerily similar. She had come into contact with it more times than she cared for, and she felt fairly certain she could recognize when she was even relatively close to the substance. It always started as a sickening feeling before escalating into a throbbing ache and then an uncontrollable hot, searing pain throughout her entire body. It felt stupid to worry her when she had already been told that nothing was wrong.

Kara's face contorted as a wave of nausea passed over her. Caitlin had turned around and didn't see her clutch her stomach and bend over. Before she could notice, a red streak swept through the room, making the doctor jump slightly and curse.

"Couldn't you just walk in like a normal person?" she accused, turning around. Her eyes glanced over Kara and widened. "What's wrong? You were just fine a second ago!"

Barry held up a vial and pushed it towards her. "I need you to inject this in her right now!"

"What? I'm not injecting something unless I know what it is!" she exclaimed as she watched Kara moan and grimace on the bed.

"Trust me, Cait! Please!" he pleaded.

"I do trust you! Okay! Okay!"

She took the vial from his outstretched hand and attached it to the end of a tube. She mumbled an apology as she stuck Kara with another needle and opened the line, letting the contents flow into her body. Both stared at her, waiting anxiously, as Alex burst into the room, the door banging off the wall.

"Did you give it to her?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We just did it."

Alex's shoulders slumped in relief. She didn't know what to expect, and she definitely felt apprehensive about giving her sister anything that Maxwell Lord had made. The last week had been the worst of her life, and she was worried her judgement might be compromised when it came to saving Kara. She couldn't risk not doing everything she could to save her, and she felt like her love for her sister could be the thing that doomed the both of them.

However, she trusted her gut, and right now it was telling her that this was the right move. Caitlin had moved to monitor her vitals with Barry looking over her shoulder. The two gave Alex a thumbs up, and she collapsed in the chair next to Kara.

Kara groaned, and sat up. "That hurt." She examined her hands. "But I feel so much better! What did you guys do?"

Alex smiled at her. "You don't need to know. All that matters is that you're finally okay." She bit her lip. "Anything wrong? Anything still hurt?"

She shrugged. "My head still feels pretty crappy and my leg hurts like hell, but everything else seems a hundred percent." Her eyes skimmed over Barry, lingering slightly.

Alex noticed and coughed. "I'm glad. We'll talk later, okay? Caitlin and I have some things to talk about."

Caitlin's mouth shaped into a slight 'o' as she caught the meaning, and the two left the room, leaving Barry and Kara alone. He shifted from each foot until he finally sat down next to her in the chair Alex had just been.

"So," she started, unsure of how to begin.

"So," he repeated. He hesitated, not wanting to overwhelm her, but thought better of it. "I'm sorry. I should have come in sooner. I wanted to, but I needed to catch Lillian." He frowned. "I'm so sorry."

She slipped her hand over his. "I get it. I do, really. I wanted to catch Lillian too."

"There's still no excuse."

He stared in her eyes, taken aback at how kind she was even after being tortured and shot. Every day he was amazed by her, and her uncanny ability to see the best in people. She was beautiful, anyone with eyes would see that, but her real beauty came from her personality. He placed his hand on her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. She closed her eyes for a second before opening them and smiling at him when he dropped his hand.

"After I left the first time I skipped universes to yours, I thought of you every day," he confessed, provoking another smile from her. "From the first time I saved you—"

"—you did not save me—" she interjected.

"—yes I did. From the first time I saved you, I was captivated by you. Your smile. Your laugh. The way you were so confident."

She laughed. "I was confident? I'd say you were a little on the cocky side of the line too. 'I'm the Flash!'" she repeated, copying his voice from the first time they met.

He grinned. "Alright, maybe I was. What I mean is that, I don't know what I would have done if you had died." He sucked in a breath. "Well, actually, I do."

She raised her eyebrow at him.

"I would have run back in time to save you. To hell with the timeline."

She chuckled and bumped her shoulder with his. "Yeah. Then you'd have to go through the whole Savitar, Flashpoint ordeal again." She noticed his look and hurried to explain. "Caitlin told me. We've had a lot of time to talk."

"I see. So you know about the…"

"Yeah I know," she finished. She saw the guilt and fear pass over his face. "Barry, I know you. There's nothing that will turn you into Savitar. Not my death, not Iris's death, or anyone else you care about." She placed her hand on his heart. "You have a hero's heart. One that can't be broken no matter how many times you lose people you love. You love people, and you get back up each time. It's who you are."

Barry stared at her. With each word, he fell deeper and deeper in love with her. He couldn't explain what he felt, but he knew it was stronger when he was around her than with anyone else he had been with. He loved everything about her.

He leaned forward, placing his hands on the edge of the bed. His lips brushed hers, and he closed his eyes, wanting to savor the moment. He pulled back, leaving their faces only inches away. She smiled and looked down. Barry slipped his finger under her chin and tilted her head up, the two of them wearing dopey grins on their faces.

* * *

Alex turned to Caitlin. "About time, I'd say."

Caitlin sucked in a breath. "This seems wrong though. I mean, I know the lab has one-way glass, but should we really be spying on them?"

Alex laughed. "C'mon. I didn't exactly know that was going to happen. I just wanted to stay in here to make sure she didn't start seizing."

She rolled her eyes. "You know, for a secret agent, you aren't very good at lying."

"I'm good when I want to be. All things considered, I'm glad that I got to see this. I want her to be happy," Alex said.

"Was she not happy before?" Caitlin asked. "Well, before she got shot," she clarified.

"I don't think so. A month or so before all this happened, she had to make a hard decision. It made her question if she deserved to be happy. She watched everyone around her find happiness while she was left heartbroken." Alex turned to look at Barry, tilting her head towards him. "I don't think anyone could have helped her more than him."

Caitlin smiled. "I had left for a little bit, but from what I heard, Barry was going through a rough patch. I think it had something in part to do with the fact that he had made a mistake and changed a lot of people's lives. We were all bitter and angry with him. A lot of us refused even to fight alongside of him." She paused. "I remember everyone was gearing up to leave without Barry, but the only two people to believe in him were Oliver and Kara. It stood out to me because it was the first time I really got a good look at who Kara was. She's intensely loyal and loving. She's unfailingly kind and hopeful, and the only other person I saw those characteristics in was Barry. You couldn't find two people more meant for each other."

Alex grinned at the information, not surprised in the least. "Do you think they know that?"

"They probably have a good idea about it. If not, I'm going to make sure they know. In the last three years of Barry coming out as the Flash, I don't think I've ever seen him as happy as he is now."

"Yeah, I don't think I've seen her this happy either," Alex said, overjoyed for her sister. She was tired and relieved that after a week of horror, something good had finally happened.

* * *

Lillian Luthor clutched her phone in her hand. She knew that her plan had failed, and she was afraid. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever been as scared as she was right now. Her son was insane, she saw that now, but he wasn't who terrified her. She had seen it. She had seen who they all reported to, and she was paralyzed from the fear of what it would do to them if they failed completely.

Her mission had been drastically disappointing, but she was glad she had obtained what she needed to finish her mission anyways. She had heard what happened to Maxwell Lord. She had heard about what her son had done to him; how he enhanced him. Lillian was told Max didn't even know what happened. The fear of becoming the thing she hated most was what drove her to make sure she did not disappoint it. She was the head of Cadmus. She was supposed to be in charge, but somehow she had been usurped. Her once powerful organization was now at the mercy of her son and his new friend. This had not been her plan. She didn't sign up to be bossed around.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. She had been able to shoot Supergirl, but the victory was short lived when she found out that the woman had survived. Lillian was thankful that she had obtained all she could from that alien and was given the go sign to finish her off. It would be the only joy she got from it. Well, that and having her daughter find out that her best friend had been lying to her.

As much as she wanted to keep Lena away from the horror show she had been sucked into, Lillian knew that it would be almost impossible now. She was too close to the whole ordeal and with Lex out of prison, Lean was almost as good as a part of this group. Despite their problems, Lillian cared for her daughter and wanted to keep her as far away from her son's new friend as possible.

She sighed and pulled out her phone, punching in a short number.

"Hello?" a man questioned, hesitantly.

"Yes. How close are we?" she asked, anxious for their project to be done.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Experiment 8 was a failure. We are proceeding with Experiment 9 as we speak."

Lillian cursed, slamming her other hand on the desk in front of her. "Hurry up! Supergirl is alive, and thanks to Maxwell Lord, she's heading for a full recovery probably by tomorrow!"

"Yes, ma'am! I'm sorry, but this takes time. Metallo was the closest we ever came to doing something like this! We're out of our league here," he complained.

"I don't want your excuses! Figure out what you're doing wrong and fix it! I don't have time for your mistakes. Do you want to disappoint it?"

"No! No, ma'am! We'll fix it right away!" the man sputtered between breaths.

The call disconnected, and Lillian slumped back in her chair. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know who she could turn to. Sighing, she picked up her phone again. She'd have to play along. It was the only way she came out of this alive.


	10. Chapter 10- New Problems

**A/N** : Hey y'all! I'm sorry I haven't posted in forever. My life has been super hectic lately, and I just haven't had any time. Also, I urge you guys to donate and pray for those who were affected by Hurricane Harvey! Many lost everything and are homeless right now, and we can each do something to help. But with the story, I'm sorry this leans towards one of the smallest chapters so far, but I hope this makes up at least a little bit for not posting. Now that Kara's back and stuff, this chapter is going to be a lot of patching up some unanswered questions. I have a lot of things in mind, but I love hearing from you guys and your ideas. I realize I have a lot of things going on in my life, but I want to try and come up with a consistent schedule. I'll tell you guys that sometime soon when I figure it out, but for now, I hope to get the next chapter up no later than Wednesday. Now, without any more waiting, here we go!

 **Chapter 10**

Kara felt her feet hit the ground. Turning around to check behind her, she nodded to herself and continued running. The trees seemed to work against her as she maneuvered through the forest, barely dodging hanging branches and jumping over large roots. She could feel it getting closer. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she increased her pace, hoping to outrun it. There. The light. That was where she needed to go. Kara didn't know why, but she knew she had to make it there. She could feel the relief pass over her.

She heard a scream. Her head whipped to the screeching sound, and her eyes found her mother lying on the ground with her leg pinned by a tree. Her eyes widened as she abandoned her path and ran to her mother. She skid to a stop in front of her and slipped her hands under the tree. Kara let out a sigh of frustration as she tried lifting it off of her. Her hands bled as she pulled in a pitiful attempt to save her mother. Her mother tugged at her arm from the ground and guided her to sit next to her.

"My dear Kara. I love you," she whispered, stroking her hair.

Kara shook her head as tears streaked down her face. "No, mother! I will save you! Don't give up!" She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Please, mother."

Alura smiled up at her daughter and brought her hand to cup her cheek. "My sweet girl. How long do you think you can run?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

Alura pointed to the smoke that was slowly making its way over to them. "Kara, you are a hero. You save people. It is your strength, but it is also your weakness. You evaded your death on Krypton, in space, and now by gun. How long do you think you can run before it eventually finds its way to you? How many must die for you?"

Kara shook her head, rejecting her words. "No, mother. No more will die! I won't let them!"

Alura frowned. "You have not been able to so far. Death will find you, daughter. Embrace it." She dragged her hand from Kara's cheek and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "One can only avoid death for so long, dear one, but it takes when it wants. For each time you live, more will die in your stead."

Kara heard a loud bang behind them and turned, shielding her mother's body with hers. Her mouth opened slightly as a green light approached her. Her head slammed back as the green bullet embedded itself in her head. Her body shook and convulsed as the Kryptonite made its way through her system.

Kara opened her eyes groggily and felt someone's arms wrapped tightly around her. Her face was wet with tears and her eyes puffy. She barely made out Alex's figure around her whispering that it wasn't real. She pulled away and looked her sister in the eye.

"Alex?" she asked, disoriented from the dream.

"Yes, Kara. It's me. It wasn't real. I promise you I won't leave you. I won't die. You'll never get rid of me." A single tear fell from her eye as Alex pulled her in for another hug.

"It felt so real, Alex. I thought she was there," Kara said through her tears.

"I only heard bits and pieces from your mumbling. What happened?"

"I was in a forest running from something. I almost made to safety, but I saw my mother trapped under a tree. I went to save her, and she told me that I would evade death for only so long. Others would die unless I did. I heard a bang and someone shot me." Kara bit her lip and looked down. Alex frowned and tilted her sister's head to look up at her.

"Kara, I will not let anyone else get to you. No one will ever hurt you again. No one will hurt any of us again."

Kara nodded at her sister's words, feeling slightly better. Her mind replayed the dream as Alex hugged her, and she pondered the meaning. She knew that she had escaped death far more than the average person, and she wondered if her time was going to catch up with her. She wasn't sure what would happen, but she wouldn't let someone else die in her place. Not now, not ever. She ran her hand through her hair and stood up, Alex following her from behind.

"I'm going to go walk around the building."

Alex raised her eyebrow. "Not alone you aren't." She shook her head. "This last week has been hell and especially after that dream, I don't want to leave your side. Not to mention Cadmus probably wants to finish what they started."

Kara rolled her eyes. "Alex! It's been five days since you pumped me with the mystery substance, and I feel fine! I feel a hundred percent! Please! I need to be alone right now."

She saw the hurt look that passed over her sister's face as she relented. "Fine We're having a meeting at nine with everyone." She looked at her watch. "Four hours from now."

"Alright. I'll see you there. I love you, Alex."

"I love you too, Kara." She turned around and walked back into the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Kara smiled slightly and grimaced. She didn't want to admit to anyone, but she wasn't feeling her best. The whole group hounded her every second of everyday to make sure she wasn't dying, and she was losing it. She couldn't handle to constant tests so she lied. Her powers had yet to return, but Caitlin had told her that scientifically, her body had regained its usual strength. She should have her powers back, but she had been told she might have a mental block keeping her from accessing her powers. Her other injuries had healed almost as if they weren't there, but she still had frequent headaches and pain in her leg. She had to hide her limp from the others and their paranoid attitude but knew that whatever had happened was going to be permanent no matter what her genius friends tried to do.

She limped over to a balcony over the back part of the house and leaned on the railing enjoying the view. It had been a roller coaster of a week, hitting all of the lowest lows possible without any of the good to accompany it. Well, perhaps there had been some good. She smiled at the thought. Barry was hers. She had been waiting to move on, and she couldn't think of anyone better than Barry Allen to do it with. They had spent practically every day together with Barry running to her favorite restaurants and getting her favorite foods as they spent their time in her quarantined room. She couldn't help but smile when she was around him. It was perfect.

She heard someone behind her and turned to look. She smiled at the gruff man behind her and gestured from him to join her at the railing.

"Can't sleep?" Oliver Queen asked.

She nodded. "Can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes my mind brings me back to being shot and tortured. Not really the best dream to go back to."

Oliver glanced at the pretty blonde next to him. He had felt threatened by her the first time he met her, giving her the cold shoulder and isolating her from him. He felt comfortable in the world he was in. People he could punch. Things that made sense. He didn't know what to do with an alien who could fly other than to avoid her. He had thought that was the best thing for him until he saw the way she fought. The intensity. The compassion. It was a personality that drew him in and changed how he thought of her. His experiences on Lian Yu usually had the same effect on him as what had happened to Kara. The nightmares. The survivor's guilt. He saw the look in her eyes and it frightened him because he saw the same in his.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Kara turned to look at him. "What?"

"The guilt you're feeling inside is nothing to be ashamed of. You survived your planet and you survived being shot. You're a survivor."

Her eyes widened in surprise and then softened. "What happened?"

"I crashed on an island. Everyone else died except me and I had to learn how to survive on that forsaken place if I wanted to live, and I did. I lived there for five years and it changed me. Much like an exploding planet and almost dying did for you. We have to live with the choices and things that happen to us. I know you're going to be fine."

She scoffed. "How do you know?"

"Because you've survived this far. Everything that's happened has only served to strengthen you more than before, and this won't be any different."

"Thank you, Oliver."

His lips turned upward into a grim smile. "Anytime."

Kara's eyes closed as a wave of nausea passed over her. They had become very consistent, but she knew that they only lasted for a few seconds at a time. Her headache increased and she swayed back and forth. Oliver grabbed her by the shoulders, afraid she was going to topple off the side of the balcony and shook her slightly. Her legs crumpled as she fell into Oliver. He caught her and reached into his pocket to call Barry. His phone was ripped from his grasp as a man emerged from a breach in front of them. Oliver looked at Kara. She had stood and her eyes had opened again, glowing an intense red. Lasers sped from her eyes towards the man, but his skin turned metal just as it hit him.

"Close." The man breathed in the air. "Ah, it's good to be back on my earth." He stepped forward and attempted to grab Oliver. He moved out of the way and punched at the metal man. His knuckles cracked on contact, and he grabbed his hand.

Kara was moving purely on adrenaline. Her powers had returned, and she felt the buzzing that flooded her body when she was in a fight. Her hand clanged with each punch she threw, and her knee ached from stepping forward so much. The strange metal man grabbed her arm as she threw it towards him and used it to throw her into Oliver. The two fell into the breach behind them.

Kara felt a weird sensation throughout her body as she landed on the other side of the breach, Oliver somehow falling on top of her. Both groaned and Oliver pushed himself off of her, falling to the side. His hand was swollen and disfigured, and he was having a hard time breathing after being hit with a Kryptonian. Kara took a deep breath.

"You okay, Oliver?" she asked, concerned.

"Not really. You?"

She laughed. "Sure. I'm doing great. At least I have my powers back."

Oliver chuckled. "Yeah." His eyes clouded over as he remembered what happened. "Kara, why did you collapse?"

She froze, contemplating whether or not to come clean. She sighed. "Fine! I lied. I'm not exactly miraculously healed all the way," she admitted.

Oliver rubbed his face with his non-injured hand. Alex and Barry had told him about their conversation with Maxwell Lord, and he knew there was a chance she might not ever feel 'amazing'. He just didn't want to believe it. Oliver grunted and sat up, Kara following suit.

"You guys knew, didn't you?" Kara accused.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah. We knew or at least suspected." He squinted and looked around. "Now we just have to figure out what Earth we're on."

"That's great," she muttered. She saw buildings to her right, fairly close to them. She peered at them and gasped.

Oliver quickly stood to his feet, ready to attack anyone who was there. He slowly turned around and saw nothing. His eyes arched at Kara, and he gave her his uninjured hand to help her up.

"What's wrong, Kara?" he asked, concerned with the pale look on her face.

"Well, I think I know what earth we're on," she responded.

"What?"

She turned him around and pointed. He squinted and sucked in a breath.

"Star City. We're on Earth-1."

* * *

Alex Danvers tapped her leg, practically starting a fire from the amount of friction she was generating. It was 8:55 and Kara still hadn't arrived. The circular table that they ordered was filled with herself, J'onn, Barry, Kal, Bruce, and Jeremiah. They were currently missing Oliver and Kara, and Alex was going crazy from the wait. She glanced at her watch for a fourth time. 9:00. She stood from her chair and rested her palms on the table.

"Where's Kara?" she asked.

Barry nodded. "Yeah. She should be here by now. You told her nine, right, Alex?" he asked.

She glared at him. "Yes! I told her nine! She should be here by now."

Bruce raised his hands, trying the calm the fight that was sure to break out between the two concerned people. "I'm sure she will be here soon. This place is secure. She's fine. I'm positive her and Oliver will be here momentarily. For now, I think we should start our discussion."

Alex nodded and slowed her increasing heartbeat. She lowered her body back into her chair and took deep breaths. Kara would be fine. The whole group of superheroes had been fully focused on Kara that they hadn't stopped to think about the still unanswered questions that this whole situation had brought upon them. They still didn't know who was in charge, the motive, or how the dead people rose back to life and were so organized. It was an infuriating situation they were in, and they needed answers.

"You're right, Bruce. What's first?

"We need to make a list of things we already know."

"We know Cadmus is involved somehow," Jeremiah responded.

"But we don't know if they are in charge or reporting to someone above them," Kal added.

"One of their goals was to retrieve blood from Kara for a project Cadmus is working on. That's why they got Kryptonite," Barry told them.

"So whoever's leading the charge on this expedition doesn't have a breacher, is able to break people out of prison at the drop of a hat, and bring people back to life," Alex said, skeptically.

"Perhaps, the people aren't brought back to life. What if they were different versions?" J'onn proposed.

Bruce nodded. "Yes. They could be doppelgangers from the different earths. They must have found out about the multiverse and found doppelgangers of the people we consider dead."

"That's a compelling theory, but let me bring it back to the fact that they don't have a breacher," Alex said.

The group paused and pondered the questions that seemed to remain unanswered even as they discussed all the different possibilities. Bruce sighed.

"What about the earth you're from?" he asked, pointing to Barry. "Have the noticed you're gone?"

Barry smiled. "I visited it a few days ago, and I have given up the mantle to another speedster for now."

"You're staying here?" Alex asked, surprised that he would give up everything so quickly.

He shrugged. "I don't know yet. Maybe. Whatever happens, I want to stay with Kara whether it's on this earth or the other one. He smiled.

Bruce bit his lip. "I have an idea to propose. For the past week and a half while Kara has been recuperating, I have nursed an idea I've had for a while now. A team of superheroes for each earth."

"How is that any different than how it's been so far?" Barry asked.

"I don't mean separate teams for each city. I think we should work towards one ultimate team of superheroes that would defend the world. We would have a HQ that would regulate when and where someone would be stationed according to the situation."

"No offense, Bruce, but as I mentioned before, wouldn't a super place like that miss out on small time crime that goes on in the cities," Alex countered.

"A little, but some could be stationed in specific cities and called in when they're needed."

"This is going to take a lot of time. A lot more time than Cadmus has already given us," J'onn added.

"Normally, yes, but I have been working on this long before this all happened. I have a privately owned base in Washington with state of the art technology. I'm sure we can construct one on your earth as well," he said nodding to Barry.

"I think I have a place that is usable on Earth-1. I can contact Wally and tell him about all of this."

"Good. We aren't going to beat these people by being dispersed around the world. We need to fight united. I have kept tabs on a few people that I can recruit for our earth. I have also spoken with Oliver about people he believes would be able to help on Earth-1." Bruce turned to look at Jeremiah. "I know J'onn has been working with you. Have you been able to dredge up any information on Cadmus?"

Jeremiah shook his head. "They implanted something in my mind after I betrayed them to help Alex destroy one of their bases. Before, they were only threatening to kill Alex and Kara. After they caught me again they implanted something and then used an alien to control me. When J'onn entered my mind the implant pulsed and erased critical information that I had gained when I was helping them. It was a precautionary measure once they found out what J'onn's powers were. They were prepared."

"So we have nothing." Barry confirmed. "Nothing that we can use to get back at them for hurting Kara."

Alex slammed her hand on the table, her anger igniting. "We need to start at the beginning. We need to retrace our steps and everything that has led to this exact moment. I'll be damned before I let Cadmus get away with torturing my sister."

Kal nodded. "I agree. It started with Volcana. She used to work with Cadmus, but last we heard from her, she has a new employer that apparently roped in Livewire, Banshee, Scarecrow, Joker, and Reactron. Interesting though because all five were incarcerated. Livewire, Banshee, and Reactron were in National City jail after Barry helped modify it, and Joker and Scarecrow were in Arkham Asylum."

"On my earth we have Weather Wizard, Mirror Master, Deathbolt, and Girder. Almost identical situation. Weather Wizard and Mirror Master were supposed to be in Iron Heights Prison. However, Deathbolt and Girder were dead," Barry added.

"It has to be some kind of sadistic show of power then. They wanted to confuse us by showing us that prisons and death won't stop them from being able to defeat us," Bruce said.

"It also means that they have to have some sort of interdimensional communication device. They coordinated the Kryptonite pick up and drop off meaning that they are working together," J'onn stated.

"Somehow Cadmus fits in as well. We have three groups. Earth-1 villains, Earth-38 villains, and Cadmus. The earth's merged under one leadership and is working with Cadmus." Alex's eyes widened. "That also means they have to be able to travel between earths. I was wrong. Their breacher might have been occupied or they could have seen the chance to take advantage of Barry's speed and that's why they hopped through and goaded Barry into traveling to Earth-38."

"Barry's seemingly dead metahumans are probably, as J'onn said, doppelgangers from Earth-38," Bruce concluded. "We have more information now, but we still need to know the people in charge and the reason why they are banding together."

The doors to the conference room slammed open, causing Alex to pull out her gun and Kal's eyes to light up. Cisco burst into the room, followed closely by Caitlin. Alex lowered her gun and glared at the both of them.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

Cisco pointed to the elevated monitor in the front of the room. Clutching his tablet, he swiped to the side and footage from earlier popped up on the screen. He pressed play and the eyes of everyone in the room widened. They saw the breach open and the fight that went on between Kara, Oliver, and Girder. They spectated with baited breath as their friends were thrown into the breach and trapped in whatever world they ended up on. Barry and Alex slowly rose to their feet, followed by the rest of the occupants in the room as the replay came to a stop with Girder jumping through another breach and disappearing.

"Oh my god," Alex said, drawing her words out slowly.

Barry rushed toward Cisco and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Where is she?"

Cisco stumbled backwards and shook his head. "I-I don't know, Bar! They could be anywhere! I tried vibing to see where she was, but they're blocking me somehow! I can't find them!"

His face paled as he fell into a chair. The days they spent after giving Kara the Blue K were some of the best days of his life. He was beginning to think that things were going to end up okay. That no matter what life threw at them, they could handle it because they had each other. It was clear what their goal was. He saw it now.

"They want to get rid of Kara. They either need her for something or want to get her out of the way."

"Why her?" Kal asked. "There has to be something specifically about Kara because I have the same powers as her."

"Or they know that Kara is stronger. She beat you when you were under control. They need the strongest person gone in order to do what they have in mind," Alex added.

"That may be the case, or they need us separated. Cisco just said they put up a blockade between us. We are divided," Bruce said.

"Do we know what earth Oliver and Kara are on?" Caitlin asked, distraught at the thought of Kara being tortured again.

J'onn shook his head. "We don't, but I'd guess they threw them back onto Earth-1. At least that way they can control the situation. If they threw them onto a foreign earth, there is a possibility that they could find a breacher there to take them back. On Earth-1 they know that Cisco was the only one."

"They planned this perfectly," Jeremiah responded. "We are almost split in half exactly. Ray, Sara, Jax, and Stein are still here while everyone else is on the other earth."

"How are we supposed to get them back here?" Alex questioned, mentally beating herself up for letting Kara go.

Bruce shook his head. "I'm not sure we can without a breacher. We need to find whatever's blocking Cisco and destroy it."

Barry sighed. Whatever needed to be done. It was a cruel twist of fate that Kara was ripped away from him again, and he was determined to get her back. His worries were soothed the tiniest bit from the knowledge that wherever Kara was, Oliver was with her and he would keep her safe. He trusted Oliver with his life, and he would have to trust him with the life of the woman he loved as well.


	11. Chapter 11- Planning

**A/N:** Hey y'all! Last chapter was super small, and I'm sorry about that! But if I didn't stop there, the chapter would have ended at like 20K words. This chapter is going to be longer and going to include a lot of Oliver and Kara in it. I always thought it was an interesting dynamic between two people that I believe don't have a romantic bond but one of just friendship. Especially since they are so different. I wanted to explore it, and so we will have the two groups of people separated for a little bit, but after that we will have a little time for Kara and Barry. Next chapter will have more of how our other group will be handling the situation. I had someone ask me if I was going to have Mon-El come back sometime, and all I can say to that is that I have something in mind. A lot of what you guys ask me I already have thought about and plan to do in the future. So, I have an idea for Mon-El in the future, don't worry. I had another person want me to show more overprotective Barry, and I plan to incorporate some of those scenes. This story has been really fast and to the point, but there will be some time to cool down and develop characters, I promise. But now to get back to the story! I hope y'all enjoy! Please comment because I really enjoy listening to what you have to say, and I truly do try to incorporate some of your ideas into the story.

 **Chapter 11**

"Oliver, I swear if you keep complaining I will throw you there and then you can finally stop grumbling because you'll be dead," Kara threatened, tired of Oliver's constant suggestions and quips.

"I'm not complaining, Kara. I'm just not a fan of being carried almost one thousand feet in the air at high speeds," Oliver explained, trying to keep himself from throwing up.

"We will be there in a second! You insisted on me going slower than usual, so it will take us a little longer to reach Star City. Tony dropped us off right outside Central City, and since you practically ordered me to your Arrow Cave or whatever, we couldn't stop to say hi to Joe or Wally and get a van."

Oliver sighed. "Fine."

Kara's eyes softened. "Are you at least glad to be back on your earth?"

"Yes. I'm glad to be back on my earth, Kara."

"Barry told me you're the Mayor of Star City. How are there not search parties set up to find you?"

"I've taken personal time. My deputy mayor has assumed my duties while I'm gone"

Kara nodded. "Okayy." The two landed behind Oliver's previous campaigning office and walked through the doors. Kara examined the room as Oliver hurried over to access the hidden elevator. Gasping as it opened up, Kara rushed over to him, smiling.

"This is so cool," she whispered as the doors closed and it shifted downwards.

Less than two seconds later, the doors reopened, and Kara jerked away as a fist slowly made its way to her face. She stumbled backwards a little bit before slowly lighting her eyes up in response to the sudden attack. Oliver pressed his arm against her chest to keep her from incinerating the man in front of them while the other was held out to stop the man from advancing any further.

"Hey! Hey! Kara, calm down! It's just Dig!" Oliver yelled at her.

Her eyes immediately dimmed to their regular bright blue color and she squinted her face in embarrassment. "Dig? Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!"

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "It's alright, Kara. I guess we both scared each other a little bit."

Kara saw Felicity walking up behind him and moved to give her a hug as well. "Kara? I didn't expect to see you here so soon! I mean, weren't you just tortured and shot?" Her eyes widened as she realized what she just said. "Oh! I didn't mean it like that. Well, you did get shot and tortured, but you heal fast! Except when there's Kryptonite. Which there's not any here so you don't have to worry." She grimaced and pressed her palm to her forehead. Turning on her heels she mumbled to herself and went back to the computers.

Kara grinned at Oliver. "Glad to see Felicity is still the same."

"Kara!" Both turned to see Thea Queen walking towards them, embracing Kara and then her older brother. "I was so worried about you, Kara! I thought you were dead!" Her eyebrows furrowed as her brain raced through the various things she had heard. "Wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be on your earth? You know, recovering?" she asked Kara.

"Yeah. Should be. Except we had a psycho who plopped us here and vanished."

Oliver nodded. "I've been thinking a lot about it, and I think that we've thought about this all wrong."

"What do you mean?" Thea asked, very confused about what both of them were talking about.

The five of them sat down while Oliver and Kara brought them up to speed on everything that had happened so far. Team Arrow, minus Dinah, Rene, and Curtis, were amazed at what they missed in such a short period of time.

"So what were you saying, Ollie? About thinking about things all wrong?" Thea asked, remembering her brother's interjection.

"I think that Woodward wasn't actually brought back to life. He and Simmons are doppelgangers of the same people on this earth"

Kara tilted her head at the man. "You're right. He said that it was 'good to be back on his earth again'. Well that means they obviously have a breacher on their team."

Oliver nodded. "And they aren't stupid. They know Cisco can jump dimensions so either they got rid of any evidence that we were thrown here, or they are blocking them from rescuing us. Either way we have to assume that they aren't going to open a breach to bring us back there." He turned to Dig and Felicity.

"Have you heard from Wally? Is he fast enough to open a breach?"

They shook their heads. "Last I heard, he wasn't even able to phase until a couple months ago. I doubt he can hop dimensions. I think Cisco was developing a Tachyon device to place in his suit like Barry, but he's on Earth-38 right now, so he can't help us," Felicity responded, worry creasing in her face.

"Who is on this earth?" Kara asked. "I mean, a lot of people crossed over to help me, so who's actually here?"

"Flash's team has Wally, Wells, Tracy, and Joe. We have Rene, Dinah, Curtis, and I'm sure we can count on Nyssa. The Legends have Mick, Nate, and Amaya," Dig listed off.

Oliver pressed his hand to his chin, thinking about the long conversations that he and Bruce had while Kara recovered. Their attack against the Dominators showed the potential they had when they worked together, all teams combining into one superpower. It was an amazing accomplishment to rid the earth of the aliens that wanted to destroy it, and Oliver knew there was no way one individual team could have pulled it off and won. It required all of them. Oliver had talked with Barry and they had made plans to transform the airplane hangar into a massive headquarters for superheroes around the world. Cisco had developed a form of interdimensional communication and travel for Kara and was certain he could create something of a greater magnitude for both HQs. Oliver had started out his mission alone, but he realized it was a fool's errand. There was no way he could have made a significant difference without the help of Felicity and Diggle. The time for pride and separate teams would have to pass. The only real way to compete against their new foe was to do it together.

"I need to make a few calls. Dig, can you take Kara and talk to Wells. I want to know if he has any ideas how to get off this earth."

Dig nodded and both people exited from the room leaving Felicity and Thea alone with Oliver. He was already punching numbers into his phone, calling everyone he knew to pitch the idea to them. Felicity stood and slipped her arm around his waist as he slammed his phone on the table.

"Oliver! Calm down! We will figure this out and get Kara back to her earth."

"It's not just that, Felicity. I can't help but feel as though something is heading our way. Compared to Earth-38, we are severely underhanded. Nate, Wally, and Amaya aren't as experienced in the field as I am or even as Kara and Barry are. I can't count on them to have my back because I don't know how they operate. I trust my team, and I trust Kara. Something is coming our way and we don't have Barry, Cisco, or even Kara's cousin. We don't have a lot of superhuman help, and we don't have the geniuses we've counted on before."

"You're selling us short, Ollie." Thea stood and walked in front of her brother, her arms crossed. "We have a good team. I don't know much about this Wally West, but from what I've heard, he's almost as fast as Barry."

"But he's cocky," Oliver countered. "He doesn't have the hard experience. He's a kid. It took Barry a year before he finally started casing the scenes and checking his environment. We need to move quickly. Get everyone on the same page before we're caught off guard."

Felicity nodded, sensing the urgency in his words. She couldn't help but feel as though he was being a little paranoid, but she trusted him and his judgement. She was aware she hadn't been there for everything that had happened and knew that there were things she probably missed. Everyone was in danger from a threat greater than they had faced before, she had picked up on that. Bigger than Darhk, Savitar, and the Dominators. They had to be ready or else someone was going to die.

"While Dig and Kara talk to Team Flash, we should see what we can do with the hangar. I'm sure I can get some state of the art tech to place in it. We can modify it and get it ready for whatever you envision, Oliver."

Thea squinted. "What would you call it?"

Oliver shrugged. "I don't know. It's some kind of team to help keep watch."

"That's a terrible name, Oliver," Felicity said bluntly. "How about the Arrow Legends of SuperFlash?"

Thea laughed. "If those are the two choices, I choose Ollie's. Come on. We need a serious name."

"Are you really concerned about a name right now?" Oliver asked.

"Shush. Thea's on to something. I don't think we should use the word team. If we are combining Team Arrow, Legends, Flash, and Supergirl, it shouldn't be just a team. It's bigger than that."

"You're right. I guess it should some sort of a…league I guess," Thea said.

Oliver grabbed their arms. "League? Really?" He arched his eyebrow at her. "Sure and we can go out for pizza and ice cream after each game. You two can discuss it later. We need to get to the hangar."

* * *

 **S.T.A.R. Labs**

John Diggle turned around, sprinting to the nearest trashcan. Sticking his face practically in it, he threw up everything that had used to occupy his stomach. Kara grimaced from the side, vowing to take a car or truck next time they needed to go somewhere.

"You okay, Dig?" She asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine! I'm not used to it, that's all." Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he straightened and walked into S.T.A.R. labs, Kara trailing behind him.

A single gunshot rang out and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Kara saw the bullets in the air, streaking towards her and Diggle, and she gasped. Moving quickly, she reached out her hand, grabbing the bullets out of the air before they could connect with anything. She turned to look at the offender, seeing a sheepish Joe lowering his gun.

"Rao! What is it with you guys! Do you look before shooting and punching?" she accused as Diggle spun around, trying to understand what just happened.

"Kara? I'm so sorry! I'm not used to seeing you without the suit. Where's Barry?" he asked, looking around, expecting to see him pop around the corner.

"Funny story. We need to talk. Who's here?"

"Harry, Wally, Iris and Tracy," he answered.

Kara's faced paled. "Iris?" she repeated.

Barry and her had spent many nights talking. Discussing their lives and their previous relationships, both knowing that they really only had one steady. Their run in with the infamous Music Meister had shown them how important it was to love, but they were with different people then. Kara admitted she felt a little jealous competing against the woman who was previously Barry's fiancée no matter how much Barry tried to convince her otherwise. Their love lives had been messy and dramatic, but they both knew that what they felt between each other was stronger than anything they had felt for anyone else before. They knew exactly how the other one felt.

The 'other one' most definitely not being Iris West. Kara trusted Barry and how he felt, but throwing his ex-fiancée in the mix without having Barry by her side was a situation she thought she could avoid forever. They lived on separate earths. It was a cruel punishment for her to have to undergo the obviously painful conversation that the two were bound to have in the next few days. She wished she could have popped back to Earth-38 as fast as she had come, but it was a relief that Iris didn't know Barry and her were dating.

Plastering a fake smile on her face, she strode into the familiar room, making eye contact with each person. Her face fell on Iris and saw the surprised look that graced her before she could compose her features. The group circled around Dig and Kara, waiting for the long explanation that was about to happen.

Team Flash wished they could have been surprised by what the two told them, but the past few years had proven that the impossible wasn't really impossible. It was only fitting that after three years of psychotic villains, another one would enter more powerful than all the ones before. They listened as Kara recounted everything that had happened, wanting to slam their faced on the computers in front of them. They wished for the old days, catching metahumans and imprisoning them. They didn't want the serial killers and intelligent masterminds that thought a billion steps ahead. It was almost as if Star City and Central City had combined to make an altogether new type of villain.

"I'm sorry, Kara," Wally offered, feeling unrealistically guilty at not being able to get her back to her earth. Wally had begun to catch a glimpse at the motivation behind Barry's constant need to get faster. Being fast was a miracle and allowed him to do so many things, but he was still baffled that despite these amazing powers, he was still helpless to do certain things.

"It's alright, Wally. We'll find another way."

"Besides," Dig started, "I doubt they don't have things in place that would block you from Earth-38. They've been five steps ahead of us at each turn."

Kara turned to Harry. "Is that possible to block breachers?"

Harry stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, breaches are opened by tapping into a certain frequency and vibrational pattern. It's how we were able to stop people from a different earth because the people match that vibration. You, Ms. Danvers, vibrate at a different frequency than everyone in this room. Some vibrations are easier to reach than others, so in theory, you could create a device that moves fast enough to scramble the vibrational pattern, making it harder to access and impossible to create a breach without the correct frequency. It uses the same mechanics of how Allen was able to phase a train through a solid object."

"So all the guys have to do is destroy the device and then they are able to take Kara back?" Dig summarized, his head whirling from the new information.

Harry nodded. "In theory."

Kara's mind thought over what Harry had told her, something a little off. Many people had underestimated her skill set, assuming that she was merely the muscle on the team. It had been a fine assumption that she never bothered to correct because she was constantly surrounded by geniuses that got the job done, but she couldn't settle for playing dumb anymore. They were up against someone they didn't know and who was smarter in almost every way. The truth was, Kryptonians were an advanced civilization hundreds and hundreds of years ahead of all the earths she had visited. They were naturally smarter than humans, and it was a fact she had tried to suppress, not wanting to embarrass any of her friends. She still didn't, but she wasn't satisfied with letting them take their time anymore. She needed to step up.

"I agree with you, Harry, but that would mean that Cisco would still be able to travel to Earth-1. There has to be another device on this earth that is masking the vibrations here too. We may not be able to get to my earth, but we can try and pave the way for them to come here. A device with that much power to mask a whole earth would require a big power source. Barry told me you had taken a power source form the Dominators for a gun Cisco created. Is it possible they might have something similar because for a device of that magnitude it would need a power source that can handle interdimensional strains. We could probably pinpoint its location by scanning for slight breaches that would have to be opening and closing to create a tension and release for the device's vibrational masking. There would also be leftover electrical and tachyonic residue to track. The device would need to be near the equator to have the best chance at spreading across the globe, so we should start looking there for electrical disturbances."

The silence in the room made her shift as she squirmed where she was standing. The group stared at her through new eyes, and she was reminded why she had hidden her intellect in the first place.

From their first encounter with her against the Dominators, they had seen her take a back seat to Barry and Oliver when leading the charge. She was content following orders from the people she trusted. It was disconcerting hearing her speak up and think past the ingrained hit first think later attitude that she had seemed to adopt during their first big fight. They were aware she wasn't stupid, but they were caught off guard by the sudden brilliance that she had just displayed. Harry was the first one to respond, grabbing a pad and pen to scribble down numbers. He looked up at her, astonished.

"You're absolutely right, Ms. Danvers." He pointed to Tracy whose eyes had not strayed from the blonde's. She was impressed by this new beautiful woman who she had never met before. She had caught a few phrases here and there about this mystery woman, and judging by the warm greeting she received, Tracy assumed she was well liked, but it was the bright smile and kind eyes that had made her immediately like her.

"Tracy, can you create an algorithm that scans the area near the west of Africa for electrical bursts or drains from the main city?" She nodded and scurried out of the room to a private computer where she could work in silence.

"Wow, Kara. I didn't know that you knew all of that," Iris said, taken aback and slightly jealous.

This woman had blown her away since the first moment she saw her fly. It was astounding listening to Barry name each and every power that the mysterious alien had. Now to add another layer of brilliance made Iris green with envy. She and Barry had mutually broken off the engagement, and she was confused on why she was felt so defensive against the blonde. No matter, she hadn't visited Kara's earth and it was slightly comforting for her, even if a little petty, knowing that Barry hadn't moved on, especially with this perfect woman. Kara was at least with Mon-El.

Kara looked down, smiling sheepishly and waving off the compliment. "Yeah. A lot of people don't know. I prefer being out in the field."

Harry raised his eyebrow at her. "Of course, but you really are quite brilliant."

"Thank you, Harry. By what Barry tells me, that's quite the compliment coming from you."

Dig coughed, trying to draw everyone's attention back to the problem. "Okay, so once Tracy gets a lock on their location we will destroy the device and let Cisco take you back home, right?"

"Yeah," Wally started, "How would we destroy something that big?"

"I don't know about you, but I plan to start with punching," Kara responded, itching to get off this earth and as far away as she could from Iris. She took a deep breath, realizing she was being immature in this situation. Iris hadn't been rude, and she wouldn't either.

Harry held up a hand. "As much as that works in your world, Ms. Danvers, I think we should think through this a little more."

"He's right," Dig agreed. "They could have security measure in place. It's possible that they have a trigger that could self-destruct the place if hit."

"Okay," Kara said, understanding the logic. "Once we figure out where they are we should have Felicity hack their servers and see if she can get the blueprints or a general layout of what the place is like."

"Yeah. We don't know how long it will take Tracy to create an algorithm and then for it to search the area, so do you have a place to stay for a while?" Joe asked.

"No, but I figured I would stay with Thea or Felicity if I needed to."

"Hey, you could stay at Barry's place," Iris offered.

"Really?" Kara questioned, surprised that Iris would be the one to suggest Barry's apartment.

"Of course. I've been living with dad until I could find my own place, but I'm sure Barry wouldn't mind you staying there," Iris explained.

"Thank you," Kara responded, her mind drifting to Barry.

She was furious that after all she had been through she couldn't catch a break to just stay with Barry. They had spent nearly every moment together after the kiss, and she felt like she was finally getting everything she wanted. It was a dangerous place to be. Kara remembered the feeling and what had happened afterwards. She got what she wanted and then something came along to tear it all away from her. She desperately wanted to be able to have everything: the perfect family, boyfriend, job, and being able to save people at the same time, but it was a reality that she caught a glimpse of before it disintegrated into pieces the first time.

She sighed. She couldn't get off this earth fast enough.

* * *

 **S.T.A.R. Labs Hall**

"Wow, Ollie. This place is filthy!" Thea stepped over a pile of boxes from the side and leaned down. She wiped her finger across the pole on top of it, her finger coming away with a coat of dust. She shook her hand out, shaking the dust off and was thrown into a coughing fit.

"Really. What-uh-what happened after we used this thing?" Felicity asked, tapping the monitors. "At least we still have these. I forgot to take them back after little team-up."

"We left. Our teams had people to worry about, and we didn't have time to clean or fix it up," Oliver said, admitting to himself that this place was less than suitable as a base of operations.

Thea crouched near a box and opened it up. "Wow. Felicity come here."

Felicity abandoned the computers and strode over to where Thea was. She whistled, staring at the contents of the box. Thea opened another one, containing similar equipment.

"There's some serious computer power here," Felicity exclaimed. "It must be the stuff that was in here before it turned into a wasteland. Wells must have not have had the time to clear all of this out. Probably too busy trying to kill Barry, I guess. It's not new by S.T.A.R labs standards but it is ahead of anything you can buy at a store. We can do some serious work with these things."

"Hey, there's some microscopes and lab stuff in this box!" Thea called.

"We need to get this place up and running as soon as we can. We can set up the main area as a mission briefing section. There's plenty of empty offices and desks set up that we can use. Bruce had a conference room for the main members of the team. I want something similar. Once Cisco gets back he can create a bigger version of the interdimensional—"

"—extrapolator," Felicity finished.

"And we can establish a form of travel between both earths. Felicity, you designed our last—"

"—Arrow Cave," Thea added.

Oliver closed his eyes and sighed. "Do you think you could create a layout of how this place should be built?"

"Well, I guess I could. I had Cisco's help last time, but I can ask Curtis to help instead. We already have most of the equipment we would want here, so we shouldn't have to use much money. Which is great since pretty much all of us don't have a job."

Thea smiled and bit her lip. "About that. I actually have a job now."

Oliver quickly turned to look at her, pleasantly surprised that she was able to find work after the fiasco of being his Chief of Staff. "Really?"

"Yeah. Merlyn Global Group reached out to me years ago about the inheritance of the company. Apparently Malcolm had changed his will to give me his company after he faked his death. I didn't want anything to do with the company at the time so I appointed someone over it and told them to take my personal profits and give it back to the company. After Malcolm died on the island, I realized that I could do so much good with his company. I could make it how I wanted it to be without all of the horrible things that Malcolm had used it for. I found a way to atone for my actions as Chief of Staff, so I relieved the acting C.E.O of her job, and I have been working there for the past couple of months. The profits the company has pulled in is amazing."

The two of them stared at the short haired brunette in front of them, surprised and proud of her.

"Wow, Thea. That's amazing!" Felicity exclaimed, pulling her friend into a hug.

"Thank you, Felicity. I'm going to rename the company Queen Industries. I thought it would be poetic to come full circle."

Oliver smiled. "Not Queen Consolidated?"

"Nope. I didn't it want to be the same. I want it to be a little different. Dad and Malcolm did a lot of horrible things with both of their companies. I don't need to have that brandished on the side of the building. I'm going to run this differently with more integrity."

Oliver stepped to his sister and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm proud of you, Speedy. You're going to do better than Dad and I ever did."

Thea smiled and turned to Felicity. "I also have something to propose to you."

"Me?" she asked, pointing to herself skeptically.

"I realize you don't have a job right now. How would you like to be the Head of the Applied Science Division? The salary is great. It's about 63,000 a year. You would oversee the projects, drugs being developed, manage the people, and even get some hands on work on some of the projects if you'd like. Also if you could ask Curtis, you could tell him I have a position as the office manager for him? It pays 56,000 a year. His job is similar to yours, but he reports to you. He's just in charge of the projects mostly. He decides who works on what and is responsible for making sure they get done. I thought you two could work on replicating the bio stimulant in your back. We could perfect the technology and start getting them into the hands of the people in a couple years."

Oliver and Felicity exchanged a look. Thea had definitely found her way. She had veered off into a dangerous place as a politician, and they were both glad she had quit that job. They knew that she had thrived managing Verdant and felt as though she was going back to her roots. She had a talent for running businesses, making much more money than Oliver ever did running the nightclub. For him it was just a front, but for Thea she had shown she enjoyed the work. Quitting Team Arrow was a wise choice for her, and they both saw that she couldn't go out nights to beat up criminals and then run a successful company at the same time.

Felicity's mouth closed, and she rushed to give Thea another hug. "Of course I accept the job! Thank you, Thea!"

Thea smiled. "Anything for a friend. So with the profits I make with the company, I'm sure I can use some money to help fix this place up."

"You're going to use the company's money to fix a S.T.A.R Labs facility? I'm not sure the board will be pleased with that," Oliver said.

"No, Oliver. I forgot to mention, but I make a lot of money now. I'll use some of my money to help you guys out. Consider it a loan to the poor."

Oliver threw his arm around his sister. "Thanks, Speedy." He turned to Felicity. "With Thea's money and Curtis's help, how long do you think it will take to get his place ready?"

Felicity pursed her lips. "I don't know. If we can get Wally's help, then I'd say two weeks."

Oliver nodded. "I'll talk to him and see if I can get him to help. We need this ready before they hit us again."

Thea pulled away and grinned at Felicity. "They. We need a good name for this group of terrorizing villains too."

"Yeah. Cisco doesn't have to name everything," Felicity reasoned.

One of the monitors Felicity had turned on popped up a video of a case that was streamed throughout the nation. A company was responsible for a missing test pilot that had been employed by them, but the pilot crashed and was almost killed. The company under the co-management of a Conrad Bloch was denying responsibility for the crash, blaming the pilot's skills. The case had been taken to court by the other founder's daughter who was friends with the pilot. She was ordering that the company be shut down despite her father having a stake in it. The pilot was recently found alive, and the defense attorney was skirting any punishment the company might otherwise get by throwing that fact in the prosecutor's face. The trial was starting to lean towards the defense, and the group was disgusted.

Felicity stalked over towards the keyboard and shut off the monitor. "That is just awful. I can't believe people like that actually make it out of the court without having to pay for their actions."

Thea nodded. "Yeah. It's a gross miscarriage of justice in the court system."

"That's why we do what we do. To make sure people like that don't escape justice," Oliver stated, feeling sick to his stomach at the people who were in charge of the aircraft company.

Thea and Felicity locked eyes and smiled. "Oliver, that's it!"

"What?"

"League of Justice! We should be the League of Justice," Thea yelled, practically jumping.

He shook his head. "You amaze me. We'll talk about it later. For now, let's get this place ready."

* * *

 **Earth-38, Metropolis**

Lex Luthor sat in front of his mother, his fingers interlocked and his elbows resting on the table between them. He had a plan in mind, executing it perfectly, and his mother was the one to screw it up. It was frustrating, and he didn't have time for mistakes or half-done jobs. His employer was serious, supplying them with advanced tech to help complete their jobs. It was baffling how they even managed to screw up in the first place.

The plan was simple. Get the blood. Complete the experiment. Get rid of Supergirl and take out the others slowly. He had people on the other side taking care of the Earth-1 heroes, but they misjudged and now the superheroes were combined. They were taking a page out of their book and forming a strong team full of every superhero the world had ever seen.

The contingencies were in place for a reason, and by a miracle, Lex was still able to control the situation. He had Woodward separate them into two groups and block their dimension traveling. They needed to strike quickly, but the stupid scientists were working too slow. They hadn't finished the experiment that was supposed to get rid of Supergirl, and it was delaying their efforts. He wasn't worried about Superman. The man fought predictably. He wasn't willing to make sacrifices. He was selfish, and that was a weakness they could exploit. Supergirl on the other hand was willing to make the hard decisions when it was between her happiness and the worlds. It's what made her dangerous. They couldn't beat her. She was stronger than Superman, their battle in national city proved that. Her knowledge of Kryptonian sciences and fighting techniques made her a formidable foe. It was a challenge, and Lex never strayed from a challenge. He had been bested by Superman before, but he was stronger now. Strong enough to take on Supergirl. His new employer had seen to it to make him and Max stronger, better than they were before.

Now, sitting in front of his mother he had choices to make. She had failed him, and it was unacceptable. He had been cleaning up her messes since the beginning of this endeavor. It was a time sensitive mission, and the consequences of failing were dire.

"Lex, are you just going to stare at me?" Lillian questioned, slightly unnerved at how their relationship had shifted.

"You have failed your job and your nanobots were a complete and utter embarrassment. I trusted you when you said Maxwell Lord knew what he was doing, but now I feel as though I should not have. You could not even manage to kill her. Not to mention she is almost perfectly fine, and her team is quickly organizing. If they finish their efforts, we might not stand a chance and you know it will not be pleased. We have a lot riding on the success of this mission. I need you to recruit Lena into this. She will be most helpful in the success of the experiments.

Lillian shook her head violently, fearing for her daughter. She had attempted to trick Lena into joining some of her nefarious exploits, but Lena could not take part in this. It was far too dangerous. Lillian was finding she no longer wanted to take part.

"No, Lex. We are on Experiment 11. It will be done in two weeks. We're getting closer each day. We do not need to bring Lena into this. The experiment will be finished, and it will take care of Supergirl. The rest will be easy to eradicate. Superman will not be a problem. He is reckless and rushes in head first. We have equipment made especially for the Flash and his friends. It will be an easy takedown. Trust me, Lex."

Lex slammed his hands on the desk in front of him, making the contents jump. "I have trusted you! You have done nothing correctly!"

Lillian flinched and straightened. "I think you have forgotten who is in charge. I am your mother and you—"

"No! I am in charge! You will listen and you will get the job done!" Lex yelled.

He pressed a button on the side of his computer. A few seconds later a man was shoved through the door, landing on his knees. He was bound by his hands and feet. The man fell to his side and squirmed trying to get upright again. He screams were muffled by the rope tied around his mouth as his eyes tracked Lex Luthor approaching him, a nine millimeter glock in his right hand.

Lillian turned in her chair, looking at her son as he pressed the gun to the man's forehead.

"Do you remember who this is, Lillian?" Lex asked, wrapping his finger around the trigger.

"Yes, of course. That man is the head of the experiment," she answered, barely hiding her nervousness.

"Good," Lex stated. His finger squeezed the trigger. The man yelped before falling to the ground, red pooling around his head. Lillian flinched at the noise and turned away from the crimson red that was quickly staining the ground.

Lex Luthor grabbed the handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the blood from his hand, returning to his seat in front of his mother. He leaned forward, his forearms resting on the desk. His eyes were calm and connected, showing no fear.

"He was in charge of the project and failed. He paid for it with his life. You are my mother, but that does not mean you will not be punished. Remember this as you continue. Now you need a new head for the project. Get Lena. I want her to lead it," Lex commanded.

Lillian swallowed her pride, feeling a deep fear for the first time in a long time. She stood and walked to the door, her hand on the handle.

"And, Lillian?" She turned. "Remind your workers of what happened today. I suggest you use your resources to best benefit you. Volcana, Livewire, Scarecrow, Reactron, Scudder, Mardon, and Girder. They were freed and are at your disposal. Unfortunately, Joker has refused to work with us, so afterwards you need to dispose of him as well."

Lillian nodded and left the room. She didn't know what to do or who to go to. She wanted out, and she wanted to leave with her daughter. It was one thing to be in charge of just Cadmus and then another to be bossed around by her own son. The tables had switched on her, and she didn't like how it felt. Lines would be drawn, and she wasn't sure which side she wanted to be on. Her interests and the employers had aligned, but the more time she spent with them, the more she felt like she was preparing her for her own funeral. She hated to drag Lena into this mess with the employer, but she didn't have a choice. It was this or death. She knew exactly how to get Lena to work with her. She needed to do this. For the family.


	12. Chapter 12- Suit of Honor

**A/N** : Hey y'all! I hope you liked last chapter! This one is focusing more on our friends on Earth-38. Afterwards we will have our big fight scene and then an appearance by someone special! After that you we will have some slow time for Barry and Kara. They'll figure out what they want to do and what earth they want to do it on. We'll have more building of this Justice League. I hope you guys caught my little hint last chapter about a new member. I altered the origin a little bit to fit my needs, but I plan to have that person help out. I also want to let you know that the Prologue is there for a reason and you will know why I wrote it, especially if you caught my little hint last chapter. I've been thinking about things really far in advance so if you have any questions, bear with me. They will be answered. I'm aiming towards a more comic based story but of course with the TV adaptations of the characters. I'm sorry this one took so long. It's pretty long, and I wanted to make sure I did justice to the characters. Again I encourage you to comment or PM me. I love answering your questions and hearing what you guys have to say about this story so far. Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following. Now onto the story!

 **Chapter 12**

Alex Danvers fiddled with the necklace in her hand, deep in thought. She let the cool metal drag from her fingers into her the palm of her other hand. The necklace was beautiful. Crafted expertly out of one of the strongest metals in the universe. It was hard to believe that this was Kara's only material link to Krypton, too her childhood, and to her mother.

She had caught glimpses of Kara stroking the necklace as if each touch brought her closer and closer to Krypton. It was an absentminded graze of her fingers when she was nervous. The way she laughed and her hand immediately went to her necklace. It never went unnoticed by Alex, and she couldn't help but feel broken each time Kara's hand went to the small indention in her neck, unfailingly coming away with the precious metal. It reminded her that Kara still thought of Krypton. That she still thought of the explosion, and she knew that it meant Kara relived the death of her entire planet each time she did. It killed Alex inside that she couldn't relieve that pain. That she couldn't bear it for her.

Kara had given the necklace to her. She hadn't known at the time that it was hers, but it was. The deeper meaning behind it was one that she didn't catch on to until Kara was miles and miles away choking through her goodbyes. It was one of the worst moments of her life when she finally realized that she was Kara on Krypton. That she was given the necklace just before someone she loved was about ready to die. It seemed silly, but it was almost as if the necklace was a way to say goodbye. A way to give a part of yourself before you left forever.

Still is was a piece of Kara that Alex was honored to have. It was one of her most prized possessions, and Alex had given it back once she had finished saving her little sister's life. She knew that the necklace was a memory. An ingrained piece of her previous life that belonged with Kara.

Then the necklace had been given to Mon-El as he was banished from the earth, leaving in Kara's pod to the unknown. It was a gesture that only Kara was strong enough to give. Kara had given her love, her life, and now Krypton to Mon-El and as much she tried to hide it, Alex knew better. She knew that Kara missed the necklace and the close memories it held.

It was why Alex had made her another. An exact replicate that Kara could have to carry Krypton around with her. She had grudgingly enlisted the help of Kal-El to find the needed materials and then hand crafted it into the beautiful creation it was before. She had planned to surprise her with it, but she should have known better. Now Kara was gone and Alex was, once again, left with the necklace.

It was an awful cycle that she was trapped in. All she wanted was Kara next to her. For her to be the light that Alex was never able to be. It was a cruel existence that she lived in. The endless pulling that she did only to be beaten by a single push. No matter what she did, something always interrupted their much needed conversation.

The last year of their live had shown how much they had drifted apart. Alex still regretted the words she spoke when Jeremiah had returned to them. It was an emotional response that she never fully apologized for. The two sisters had pretended it never happened, but Alex clearly saw the withdrawn disposition Kara displayed when around Eliza and her. As if she truly thought she wasn't a part of the family, and Alex was the only one to blame for that.

Kara had been through endless heartache, and Alex felt nauseous whenever she remembered everything she said. The final kick was Mon-El. Alex knew her sister and she saw the effect it had on her. As if she was slowly sinking into an eternal despair. She wasn't the same sunny person she was before, and Alex couldn't help but feel as if it was her fault.

They tried to have the conversation. Alex had personally approached her and attempted to have a real talk. One that cleared the air of all the compartmentalized feelings that the other most definitely felt, but each time something came up to interrupt it. Attacks were strewn across the world, Barry arrived, Kara was kidnapped and tortured, and now she was thrown onto a different earth, barred from returning.

Her greatest fear had begun to come true. She was afraid Kara would die without Alex having a chance to fix it. No, she was petrified, and now it was all falling into place. Kara was trapped, and Alex had no way to get to her. At least when she was with Cadmus, she was on the same earth.

She paced in Kara's apartment, looking at all the pictures of the two of them. She couldn't do it. She couldn't let Kara go another day thinking she had burdened her family or that she wasn't a real part of it. She would die before she would let that happen again.

She heard a creak behind her and she quickly drew her gun, swinging it towards the intruder. Alex sighed and lowered her gun, seeing the familiar face of Barry Allen.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, holstering her gun.

"I just wanted to come back here. I thought that if I did, she might be sitting on the couch, waiting for me. Silly, right?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. We hold on to a hope that the ones we love will always be there. That nothing can keep them away from us."

The man gave a tired grin. "That was very deep. I didn't know you were that in tune with your feelings."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Allen. Well, that concludes my kind, sage wisdom for you."

"Darn. I'm going to miss my daily dose of Alex Advice," he joked. His face hardened. "I feel like my heart is going to burst. I'm ready to charge through into Cadmus and grab Lillian by the throat and kill her. It's a part of me I never thought I would resort to, but I'm ready to. For Kara."

She nodded. "I get the same feeling. What's stopping you?"

"The small voice in my head telling me that it wouldn't be for Kara. It tells me that I'm doing it for myself because Kara would never do that." He smiled, looking out the window for a second before turning back to me. "She's too kind. Too compassionate. No matter who wrongs her, she never slips down to their standards. She looks for the best in people. Kara would never kill, and I can't disappoint her. I-I love her too much."

Alex smiled and bit her lip, staring at the man in front of her. "I noticed. Have you told her yet?"

He shook his head. "I was going to, but then she got thrown onto that damn earth."

"You mean your earth?"

"My earth is wherever Kara is." He ran his fingers through his long hair, leaving them gripping the back of his neck. "I just want her back with me. I will do whatever it takes. It's killing me inside."

Alex examined the man in front of her. His hair had grown longer than it had been when he had first arrived on her earth, falling over his eyes, and his face with riddled with stubble. His eyes were dark, as if he hadn't gotten any sleep in the past week, and his clothes were wrinkled, the buttons not lining up properly. She empathized with him, needing to get her sister back as soon as possible. Her heart was torn, knowing she could be captured and tortured all the while she waited for Cisco, Winn, and Ray to find a way back. She trusted them and their work, but it was time consuming. Taking up precious minutes.

"We will get her back. It isn't like before. Now she has Oliver with her along with Felicity and Wells. She's going to be fine," she told him, trying to convince herself as well. "We need to trust them and do all we can from our side."

Barry nodded, his eyes drifting down to the metal in her hand. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked, incredulous.

She smiled. "Yeah. I made it for her."

Barry grinned. "She's going to love it. She talked a lot about that when we were together."

Their phones rang at the same time, each of them quickly grabbing it and reading the message sent by Cisco. The exchanged looks.

"He has something."

"Want a lift?" he asked, a devious smirk in his eyes.

"No. I'm fine. I really don't th—" she started, cut off by a sudden whoosh of air as she was deposited off in her chair in Bruce's underground cave.

Cisco clapped his hands together, satisfied that everyone was there. "Great. Well, we believe that Cadmus or whatever has created a device that masks Earth-1 and Earth-38's vibrational patterns, hiding it from me. That means until both are destroyed, we can't get to it either."

Alex rubbed her face. "How are we supposed to be able to cross over when we have no means of communicating with them to see when they are planning their attack?"

Cisco smiled at her. "I'm so glad you asked. We can't. That's why Cadmus did it. They're smart, and they knew who they're up against. They blocked both teams from communication and regrouping. Luckily, they aren't as savvy as they'd like to think they are. The don't have a big enough grasp of our good friend J'onn J'onzz's powers."

Barry raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Really? And how are we supposed to communicate with them through J'onn?"

"J'onn has a telepathic link to Oliver. He tried to establish one with each of us in case someone got kidnapped again as a precaution. That link between minds doesn't change when skipping earth's. Theoretically, it's possible that he can reach past the dimensional boundaries if the telepath is strong enough," Cisco explained.

"Wait," Winn started, skeptical, "J'onn never told us about this before. Are you sure you can?"

J'onn furrowed his eyes at the man. He was more powerful than he had led people to believe. Being the Martian Manhunter had brought many problems to his doorstep that he never wanted to have again. It had, in part, caused the Danvers to lose Jeremiah, and that alone was a consequence that had thoroughly persuaded him to refrain from using his powers. Slowly he had been convinced to retry, but he had always taken a step back, never showing his full potential. He still feared that something worse would happen each time the world was reintroduced to the full powers of the Martian Manhunter.

It was a fear that he would have to get over.

He had lost a planet, one with his wife and daughters, and he had never thought he would recover from the pain that it brought him. His nightmares were constantly full of the faces of his loved ones, and it was a heartache that he couldn't simply wish away. He was forced to bear the pain of saying goodbye over and over, even if only in his dreams. It was a nightly occurrence that frightened him to the core and pushed him to not get close to people. The risk was too great.

Until the Danvers sisters came along. They shattered every wall he put up, and tore down every façade he had placed in his life to cover up his innermost turmoil. It was angering and frustrating, yet he couldn't help but love them. The way they were so passionate. How much they loved each other. It was a careful balance that seemed so perfect between them. Kara was the light, the sunny one perpetually looking at the good in people while Alex was the rational, the overprotective sister whose darkness was only held at bay by Kara. People were drawn to the pair, admiring their love and dedication to the other.

J'onn had tried so hard to stay away, but he couldn't help but think of the two of women as his daughters, and he would die before he shied away from helping one of them, especially when he had the means to do it. He would bring Kara back where she belonged. His pride be damned.

"I can do it. I will," he stated. The group were nervous and skeptical, but they had learned to lean on their team members. Trusting them and their abilities was vital to unified fighting and could be the difference between life and death, so they were willing to let him try.

"Alright!" Cisco exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "So how do you do this? Do you like sit crisscross applesauce and close your eyes?"

Barry covered his eyes and lowered his head. "Crisscross applesauce? Seriously? Cisco, are you nine? Just let the man do his thing. Whatever that maybe?" he started, staring at J'onn curiously.

"No I do not need to do any of that. Just leave me alone." His eyes lit up, dark red as he stared off at the wall. The rest of the group looked to each other for any indication of what was happening and when he would be done.

J'onn threw a mental net over Earth-1, searching for the familiar mental patterns that Oliver had displayed. He had first been horrified when he looked into the mind of the green clad vigilante. The hate and terrors that man had experienced on the island where grounds to cause anyone else to curl up in a fetal position and give up on life. It was a miracle he still suited up and went out into a city that was hardly receiving of his services. He had a police force chase after him for years, his closest friends and allies die, and still he vowed to protect. It was a deep honor inside him that he could admire; despite the terrible things he had done. They had all done things that they regretted; it was part of fighting. The split second decisions you had to make that chose between your life and the life of the man in front of you and having to live with the consequences later. It was something he could hardly criticize.

His body convulsed as he found the man in the sea of minds he had been searching through. He gripped the sides of his chair and leaned his head back. J'onn could feel Oliver resisting. The rest of the group exchanged worried looks, ready to smack J'onn out of whatever he was doing.

His fingers relaxed as he felt Oliver let go and give in.

 _Mr. Queen!_

 _Who is this? What is happening? Get out!_

 _Relax! It's J'onn. We have found what is causing us to not be able to breach to either earth_

 _J'onn? How the hell did you get in my head? What's going on?_

 _I was able to link my mind to yours despite us being on different earths. My apologies. I would have linked to Kara except Kryptonians are immune to my telepathy. Again, we found the device that is prohibiting us from crossing earths._

He could hear Oliver sigh in his brain. Several thoughts were twisting through his mind; he could tell. The thoughts of the unbelievable things he had experienced and then comparing it to the unusual nature of this conversation. J'onn heard him give in and accept it.

 _Okay. We did too. Wells and Tracy found out where it was. We are planning a raid on the facility right now._

 _Good. We need to coordinate our attacks to make sure we can return back to Earth-38 when the job is done. When is your attack?_

 _Tomorrow night. We're pulling in everyone for the job. I had one of my contacts do some recon and the facility is highly guarded. Very fortified._

 _We came up with more or less the same assessment. Tomorrow night we will breach each building. Mr. Ramon will then open a breach to the earth and allow Kara to come back to her earth, and Sara, Ray, Stein, Cisco, Caitlin, and Jax to return to theirs. You are welcome to come as well._

 _I can't. Bruce and I have discussed creating a team. I have just started to make preparations for it, recruiting people and readying a building. I need more time before I can come and reconvene with him on our progress._

 _Alright, Mr. Queen. Ready the team and be sure to be prompt. As far as we know, our earth's run on the same time. There is no room for mistakes. This has to be done perfectly._

 _I understand. We will be ready tomorrow night._

J'onn leaned his head back, his eyes slowly returning to their original color. The team stared at him expectantly. They had been whispering to each other, wondering when he would be done, and if it was even working.

J'onn raised an eyebrow. "They are attacking tomorrow night. We need to make preparations. Mr. Wayne, I was told you were able to get the layout of the building," he prompted, pointing towards the man.

"Yes. I had an ally of mine hack their system, and he was able to uncover their entire building layout. The place is a large warehouse broken into four wings. The eastern wing is mostly RD with some of the brightest people in the world working on high tech projects that are classified but only at the request of the higher ups. There's a rumor that an army general has been supplying them with their equipment without the consent of the president. The western wing is experimentation, probably a new lab since we destroyed their last one. They have kidnapped aliens as a revolt to President Marsdin's Alien Amnesty Act and preformed extensive testing on them with intentions of making new military weapons. The northern wing is where they are holding the prisoners in cells. We have no information on what kind of aliens are being held there and whether or not they are volatile. The southern wing is where the device is being held. They have scientists perfecting is and military personal guarding it. That's where we want to go, but it's located in the back, making it the hardest to get to. In the middle is the control center. There are hallways sectioned off cardinally. There are gates blocking it and the only way in is by taking the control center. The only way out is the control center as well. From an architectural standpoint, this was designed to withstand a significant attack. We will need to cross past the prisoners to even get a chance at breaking into the control center. Winn will need to hack the panel and open the gates allowing us to get through to the device. The facility is full of military trained guards that have experience fighting aliens. They are armed with tactical vests and are carrying standardized military issued weapons; an M4 Carbine, Beretta M9 pistol, and a combat knife. These aren't just your random civilians given a weapon and told to shoot. They are highly trained and dangerous, not to mention fighting whatever may be in those cells."

Clark cocked his head. "Why can't I just burst through the ceiling and pave a way for you guys?"

"They are armed with Kryptonite bullets. As soon as you burst through the ceiling as you as heroically do, you will be shot and killed before you even make it to the ground. The best way to do this is intelligently. We can't waste the element of surprise we have. We're going to approach this carefully and as stealthily as possible. We split into three teams as soon as we get past the cells. Alpha team is going to be led by me with Jax, Professor Stein, and Clark. We will be securing the prisoners and experimentation labs, making sure none make their way to the other parts of the facility. Bravo team will be led by J'onn with Winn, Ray Palmer, and Sara. You will guard the control room while Winn gains access to all the security cameras and doors. Ray Palmer can them shrink and make his way to the RD section of the building. I want all the information from the computers downloaded. That leads us to Charlie team led by Alex with Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin. Barry will superspeed and inject all the scientists with a serum that Caitlin made to ensure they stay unconscious. Caitlin will be there in case anyone is injured, but I have been told she has been able to control her powers, making her a valuable offensive asset as well. Cisco will disarm the device while Barry and Alex watch his back." He turned to Eliza and Jeremiah. "Cisco designed some cameras to fit on each of our suits in order for Jeremiah to see and shout out if he notices anything important. As soon as Cisco is able to open a breach, he will transport Kara back here and everyone who wants to return back to Earth-1. Eliza will be here to attend to any medical injuries when we get back. Is everyone clear on their assignments?"

They all nodded, nervous but confident in the mission. They trusted the people they were working beside. They would succeed.

Bruce nodded to Cisco. "Alex, Ray, and Caitlin, I believe that Cisco has something to show you."

The three stood hesitantly and followed the shorter man into a small room. His smile nearly reached both ears as he gestured to the mannequins in front of him. The man was practically bouncing from excitement.

"Ray, we had talked about upgrading your suit, so here's your new bad boy! I made it out of reinforced tri-polymer, shedding a lot of weight that your previous suit had. The wires are sewn in the suit and protected by the outer material. The chest piece is also a camera like Barry's so that we can view your surroundings. I placed your shrinking tech in the belt of the suit making it easily accessible by twisting the emblem to the left and right. I know you had an issue with the power source so I made it smaller. It uses the same tech that Curtis Holt used with Felicity's bio stimulant. I had been working on it for a while for you, but I finally finished! The A on your chest opens up if you want to take out the power source, but it's still protected by the emblem if you were to get hit in the chest. I kept the photon energy weapons on your forearm but I increased the power. Seriously, Curtis Holt is a genius. So much power in just a little thing." He shook his head in admiration. "I covered parts of your suit with Dwarf Star alloy to protect your vital organs and the power source. This new suit is lighter and more based on nanotechnology, allowing you to fly and move faster."

The suit was beautiful. It had an underlying dark red as the background color with dark blue covering the chest, legs, and shoulder blades. In the center of his chest was a plate with a large, dark red A outlined in blue. His belt was red and in the center on it was a dial with a picture of a blue atom ironed on. His helmet had become smaller and the visor covering his eyes had thinned but still covered his entire face. The helmet was painted a dark blue with red lines running down the back and front of it. His gloves were primarily red with blue running from the fingertips to his wrist. He stepped closer to it and ran his hands over the material. Despite losing a lot of weight, the suit was still sturdy, offering plenty of protection.

"Wow, Cisco. I don't know what to say. This is awesome. Thank you so much! I'm going to try it on." The man practically leapt from where he was standing, grabbing the mannequin to try on his new toy.

Alex rolled her eyes.

Cisco motioned to the next one. It looked as though it was made entirely out of leather, and it was a stunning ocean blue. The top was bright cobalt, zipping up almost to her neck with black leather flaps running to her knees that were sewn to the side. The bottoms were tight black leather with a line of blue going up the sides. The boots went past her knees and had a navy blue tint to them. The belt was a lapis blue with a soft artic colored snowflake in the middle of it. The suit bore many resemblances to her briefly worn Killer Frost one but was different as well. It had a brighter feel to it.

Cisco smiled at her. "It's made of the same material as Barry's and Ray's. I added a small sheath in the boot for a combat knife if you are put in a position where you can't use your powers. It will shield you against some falls and slices, though I don't suggest falling off a building or getting stabbed. You're a metahuman, so I didn't think you needed as much protection as Ray did. How do you like it?

She smiled and brought her hand to her mouth. "Cisco, wha-what? Did you…I mean…" She paused. "This is my Killer Frost costume but at the same time it isn't," she said. "I love it."

Cisco shrugged it off, internally beaming with pride. "Thanks. You said you weren't Killer Frost or Caitlin Snow, so I tried to incorporate both sides of you."

Caitlin stepped close to the man and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Cisco."

"Didn't need you going into a dangerous facility without one of my special trademarks," he stated with a wink. Caitlin grabbed her suit, heading off to try it on while Cisco turned to face Alex.

"Are you ready for yours?"

"Mine?" she asked skeptically, pointing to herself. "Why do I need a suit?"

"Because it doesn't help to just be a badass secret agent infiltrating a high security base, you have to look the part too. I don't think your usual D.E.O uniform is gonna cut it against these aliens."

She glared at him. "They've worked so far!"

He lifted his hands in the air. "Okay! Okay! Just indulge me, alright? See, the super powered friends we have flying around the city have an air about them that just makes the city hopeful. No offense to you, but I see you as more of a vigilante type. Like Oliver, Thea, Laurel, and Roy."

"Who the hell is Laurel and Roy?"

"That's another story for another time. The point is, I styled your suit after theirs instead of Kara's and Barry's." He pointed to it, and Alex couldn't help but admire the man's handiwork.

It was awesome. Nothing else could describe it as perfectly. Like Caitlin's, it was two parts, the upper and lower parts a dark blue leather, but more form fitting without any loose areas. There were two gun holsters on the both sides of her legs, already occupied with the gun she had found on Slaver's Moon, and her regular D.E.O. issued weapon. The back part of the suit had a larger holster with a large silver bo staff slipped inside. She peered at the left shoulder of the suit and gasped.

The proud dark red crest of the House of El was emblazoned on her suit, clearly displayed for anyone to see. She shook her head at Cisco and backed away from the suit.

"No. I can't have the crest on my suit!" she explained, stepping away.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

"What's wrong? What's wrong is that the House of El was one of the most distinguished families on the planet. It was one of honor and especially one reserved only for family. The things I've done. I can't wear that," she told the smaller man.

He smiled at her. "I'm aware. Kara insisted. Ever since I arrived on this earth, I have been working on various suits for you guys, but especially one for you. I've heard of everything you've done on this earth, Alex. I've asked around. You've beaten some of the most violent aliens on earth, you defeated the head of a rebellion, and you flew a spaceship into space to save your sister. I've fought beside some of the bravest people in the world and most of them have superpowers to fall back on, but I have never met someone as dedicated as you are to your sister. Well, other than Barry," he said, smiling. "I'm serious though. Kara told me to put it on your suit. She wanted the world to know that you two play on the same team."

Alex was touched. Krypton's culture was primarily based around family and the honor of a house. It was why Alex had always held a grudge against Clark abandoning Kara at such a young age. Kara had cried to her many nights as a child, trying to explain to her that Clark wasn't supposed to do that. He wasn't supposed to leave her. He was Kryptonian, and he had a duty to his house that he wasn't fulfilling. The fact that Kara trusted her to uphold the honor of the house even after all the terrible things she had done was a privilege in and of itself. She wouldn't let her down.

"Winn got all squirmy when I told him I was designing a suit for you, so me and him teamed up to make this bad boy. Or girl, rather. I added a little piece of Earth-1 in it for you, allowing the people at the D.E.O. to track your vitals, and I also placed a GPS in at after hearing about your kidnapping incident. Winn designed it…mostly. It's made of Kevlar with a little Cisco thrown in. It should protect you against your average bullets along with alien blasters, which by the way is super cool. I can't believe you guys have for real aliens here. This isn't your average tactical gear. I wanted you to be extra protected going into the facility. I know half the time you are on a D.E.O. mission when you beat the crap out of bad guys and such, but I made you a mask anyways. I don't think we should take any chances that someone can recognize you and then trace it back to Kara."

He handed her a dark blue mask, and she placed it on her face, alarmed when it suctioned on. The mask covered all of her forehead along with her nose and cheeks, completely hiding her identity.

"Wow, Cisco. I don't know what to say," she told him, in awe of the whole thing.

"I'm not done just yet, Danvers." He turned his head and winked at her. "Or should I say, Sentry?"

"Sentry?"

He smiled at her. "I don't mean to brag, but I come up with most of the names on my earth, so I figured I could come up with one for you. Bruce, Winn, and I agreed that we don't really want to call your name in a top secret facility. Winn suggested 'overprotective badass' but that didn't exactly roll off the tongue."

"Sentry," she whispered to herself. "I love it, Cisco. Thank you."

"Anytime. The bo staff is courtesy of Sara Lance. The first time the two of you went toe to toe, she said you took her staff and used it expertly. She suggested we added it to your suit. J'onn told us not to get rid of your alien gun, so I didn't, but I added a holster for another gun just in case that one is destroyed. For more of an up close fight, I took her advice and added a staff for you to use," he nodded to the suit. "Try it on." Alex grinned at him and left, excited to try on the new suit.

Cisco sighed. He had spent weeks working day and night on the suits, anticipating when they would have to travel somewhere and fight. He felt obligated to make sure they remained safe. It was a burden he had always felt, even more so after the particle accelerator exploded and he lost his credibility. He never knew how much he loved helping people until they wouldn't let him help anymore. He got another chance when Barry came into the picture, bringing a whole team of heroes with him. The team was going to war. He could only hope they would succeed without losing anybody.

* * *

 **L-Corp**

Lena Luthor rubbed her face, thoroughly worried. She had called Kara every day for the past two weeks, getting no answer. She had called CatCo, being assured by James Olsen that she was out on assignment for him, reporting on something in Gotham City. Articles had showed up in her name proving his claim, but she wasn't convinced. He had told her she would be gone indefinitely, and each of his excuses led her deeper and deeper into worry. It wasn't like Kara to not answer her phone.

She couldn't help but feel as if part of the silence was her fault. She still bore the weight of knowing her technology had banned Kara's boyfriend into space, and she was torn at the fact. Kara had shown her unwavering trust and faith in her while everyone else shunned her and told her she was bound to follow on the rest of her family's psychotic path. It was Kara who made Lena want to be better. To prove them all wrong, but now the woman had gone completely off the grid other than the articles sounding exactly as Kara would write it, leading to the pretense that everything was fine, but alerting a part of herself that told her something was wrong. She missed her best friend, and she was determined to find out was wrong.

She hung up from CatCo once again after being redirected to James and receiving another half-baked poor excuse. She was prepared to do whatever it took to find out what had happened and get her best friend back.

The click of the door shutting caused her to whip around, accidently knocking her pen off the desk. It rolled, stopping at the person's feet. Lena's eyes traveled upwards, and she gasped.

Lillian bent down, picking up the pen and setting it back on the desk. "Not the most flattering response. I thought you might be happy to see me."

Lena scoffed. "Oh I'm thrilled. Why wouldn't I want to see the woman who always takes advantage of me?" It's your fault that my best friend's boyfriend is orbiting around it space somewhere."

Lillian clicked her teeth together and pointed her finger towards her daughter. "No, Lena. You did."

Lena's heart constricted as she realized that her mother was right. God forbid that Lillian commits millions and millions of felonies and tortures hundreds of people, but she was right about the one thing that hit Lena the closest. It was her fault that Kara was heartbroken. It was her fault that Mon-El was gone forever.

Lillian gave her daughter a small smile, slipping her hands into her pockets. "No matter. I have a way for you to make up for your small mistake. Come with me and help me with a new project I have been developing."

Lena smirked. "No. Never. I may have hurt Kara, but I will never help you again. Get out, now," she commanded.

Lillian sighed. "I thought you would say that."

She pulled her hands from her pocket, coming away with a small cylinder and a thin piece of paper looking material. She slipped the paper-like mask over her face, the material unfolding until it covered her mouth and nose. The cylinder sputtered and began to spray a cloudy white gas over the room. Lena backed out from her desk and used her elbow to cover her face, attempting to reach the door. She stumbled, tripping over the leg of a chair and fell face first onto the ground. Lillian grabbed her daughter and lifted her, draping her arm over her shoulder. She pressed a button on her phone, and a breach immediately opened in the office. The two women silently stepped through the small blue-white portal.

The circular gust of wind stopped, and Lillian handed her unconscious daughter off to the man who was waiting on the other side. She straightened her clothes. For years she had hoped Lena would join her at Cadmus, never feeling an ounce of guilt. Now, she was practically drowning in it. Lena didn't deserve this. Hell, she didn't think she deserved this.

Two hours later, Lena was dragged from the bed she was set on and stood in front of her mother, her face red. She pulled her arm from the man's and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at her mother.

"I'm a getting an annoying sense of déjà vu," she mumbled to herself, remembering the last time her mother had done this. "Just let me go," she pleaded.

Lillian shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I need your help with something. I have been working with a new…partner. He is very demanding. We have been conducting experiments for the past few months and none of them have succeeded."

"Experiments?" Lena asked, already confused. "What do you mean?"

Lillian pressed a button, opening up a wall. They walked into the hidden room, and Lena nearly threw up. Computers were lined all throughout the room, strings of two different DNA strands on each one. In the center were vats with a cyan tint full of either broken down skeletons or degenerating fetuses. It was an atrocity, and she could barely stand to look at it. One the outside of the capsules was the House of El symbol that she had seen on Superman and Supergirl.

"What are you doing? What is this? Mother, you need to stop. This isn't right," Lena told her, immediately feeling queasy.

"No, Lena. I need you. You're the only one who can help. We took Supergirl's blood and combined it with another's. We were going to use Superman's until we discovered who was the strongest of the two after their fight in National City. It was only logical to take hers. We have tried to replicate our own personal Kryptonian to rival them, however we cannot regulate the correct amount of growth hormones to slow the aging after he has reached the desired size. Help me, Lena. I can't do it without it you."

She gestured to the capsules. "Welcome to Project Superboy."


	13. Chapter 13- The Plan of Attack

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I'm sorry I have not been posting a lot. Life is hectic, and I've been trying to juggle everything at once. Don't worry though. I'm still going to work on this. I'm not abandoning it. So, a lot happened last chapter but not everything I had wanted. I intended to include the fights, but that would have made it infinitely larger and I wasn't sure if that would be boring or not. Thank you for all the support, reviews, favorites, and follows. I truly love reading through the reviews. It shows me how much y'all care. So thank you! I had one reviewer tell me that I was very detailed, and that means a lot to me. I want to make this authentic as possible but also add my own special thing. This chapter is long, more than 10k words, so I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to get it out as fast as possible so there's probably a lot of mistakes, but I'll make sure to fix it later. With that, let's get to it!

 **Chapter 13**

The whole group stared as Oliver convulsed in front of them. With wide eyes, they turned around, wondering if anyone had any idea what was happening. Kara's trance snapped, and she jumped forward, grabbing Oliver's arm. Shaking him, she slowly saw his eyes roll back forward and his body loosen. The group let out a sigh of relief.

It had been almost a week since Kara and Oliver were thrown back to Earth-1. Tracy and Harry had located the facility, but there were still complications on the raiding. Oliver had enlisted the help of an unmentioned old friend to scout the area and figure out the makeup of the building. The building mirrored that of the one on Earth-38, making the siege slightly easier. They could be in and out quickly, sending Kara back to her own earth.

They only issue was that they were short staffed. They needed a team, a league of justice as Thea and Felicity kept repeating. Oliver made several calls, bringing in people she had never seen before. The large table in the Arrow Cave was currently full with Dinah, Dig, Felicity, Oliver, Harry, Tracy, Wally, Iris, Joe, Curtis, Rene, Nate, Amaya, Mick, and two people she had never seen before. The man wore jeans with a tight blue shirt and brown jacket over it. His arms were crossed over his chest and a natural scowl planted on his face. The woman on the other hand was smiling, her elbows leaning on the table. She was very beautiful, her dark skin and light hair complementing each other.

Oliver gasped and slid his hands over the table. His body shivered, and Kara grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at her. Felicity and Thea were standing next the blonde, both worried and feeling utterly helpless. Oliver voice shuddered as he let out a shaky breath.

"Oliver! Hey! Oliver! Can you hear me?" Kara tilted his head back, trying to get a good look at his face. He pulled his head from her grip and squinted at them.

"Kara? What?" he asked, dazed.

"Oliver, are you okay? What happened?" Felicity asked, pushing through the group.

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head out. "I'm okay, Felicity. J'onn contacted me. They're breaching the building tomorrow night. We need to get ready."

Dig sucked in, crossing his arms. "You said we needed to have a little bit more information before attacking."

"I know, Dig. I can't explain it but before J'onn let go, I saw images in his mind. He and Bruce had been talking, and J'onn relayed all that information back to us. Comparing them to what we already know, they are exactly the same. We need to pair off and spar. Felicity, Curtis, Wells, and Tracy I want you hacking into their mainframe and coming up with anything you can. I want every detail from what color their shoes are to who their mother is. Get on it. The rest of us will be pairing off. I want us to be perfect. We are a team now, no matter how much I wish I could do everything myself. We need each other. We fight for each other. No one dies. Let's go."

The group, shocked but motivated, hurried to get everything done. Kara moved to join the group of people walking over to the mats, but Oliver pulled her aside, worrying her.

"Everything okay, Oliver? I know J'onn can totally invade your personal space, and I apologize on his behalf," she rambled, nervous around him. She couldn't seem to forget their first encounter and how poorly it had gone before.

"Relax, Kara. We weren't exactly suited up when we were thrown here. I just wanted to make sure you had something to wear when we do this."

She nodded, relieved. "Yes! I think Harry had told me that Cisco had something in the works after the Music Meister incident. He's finishing it up, but he says it'll be ready by tomorrow."

"Great." He looked at her, examining every wince and grimace she hid behind her sunny smile. He hadn't forgotten what had happened before Woodward had tossed them back. She had frozen and nearly fallen off the balcony due to the pain. "Kara," he said, gently.

I'm fine, Oliver," she said, through strained breaths.

He grabbed her arm, nearly dragging her to the office upstairs. "Kara, tell me the truth. You've gone through a lot these past weeks, and we kept trying to forget everything that happened. It isn't fair to you. You need to talk about

She laughed. "That's sound advice, Oliver, except it's coming from the guy whose biggest flaw is not sharing his feelings."

"Kara, I don't want you to be like me."

She paused, midsentence.

"I've made a lot of mistakes that I've had to live with, and I will regret for the rest of my life. Lies I've told, people I've hurt, things I've withheld, but I will not be responsible for you dying, Kara. I can't lose anyone else. So, please. Talk to me. Throw things, yell, cry, do whatever, but get it out. These things make us stronger; I told you before. They make us smarter, and I will do anything I can to help you."

Kara sighed, the rims of her eyes slightly welling up. "I can't forget it, Oliver. They beat me and shoved needles into my body." She stopped, running her hand over her eyes. "I wasn't gone long, but they took advantage of it. General Lane give them liquid kryptonite, and they injected it in my body almost every hour. They took so much blood, and they cut me open. I could feel myself dying. I heard my mother's voice several times begging me to join Krypton. It dragged on forever, and—" She shuddered. "—I had given up. I thought no one was coming. The scientists had finished their tests and talked about how they were going to kill me. They were going to mutilate my body and inject lethal doses of kryptonite just to see how long it would take me to die. Every step I take. Every shock of pain in my leg that I feel reminds me of what they did, and it scares me. Oliver, I was ready to die when Alex got there. I wanted to. Then they saved me, and I'm back as if nothing even changed. But I hold the pain and the memories of what happened. They're scars that don't heal." She turned to look at him, her eyes tired and drooping. "What do I do, Oliver? How do I move on?"

He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, his head resting on hers. Oliver was not a man who hugged. He rarely showed any emotion, attributing his secluded nature to the 5 years he spent on the island, but he couldn't help but feel anger building up as he listened to her speak. The circumstances that had graced the blonde Kryptonian's life had also left its mark on his, and he couldn't help but think that they had more in common than he had originally thought. The choking darkness that had grasped at his life was one that he vowed to keep Barry from, and he had expected to do the same for the woman who fought with more passion than anyone he had seen before. She was intriguing. Beautiful and driven despite the past that pulled at her everyday she put on the cape. The torture that she had endured was terrifying, and he couldn't help but entertain thoughts about what he would do when he found the woman who hurt her. He felt like he failed her and the people he called friends. It was a grieving mistake that he seemed to make so much, and he didn't want to live with it anymore. The pain of death. The pain of failing.

He pushed her back slightly, forcing her to look in his eyes. "Kara, I understand. I swear, I would kill to make sure that never happens to you again, but I can't. It's a burden you will have to live with, but don't live with it alone. You are a hero. You put the cape and boots on knowing that you might die that day, but still you do it. I don't consider myself a hero, and I probably never will. I've done terrible things and spilt innocent blood, but you are. Everything you've done is something to be proud of. The pain in your leg, the pounding in your head needs to remind you that you beat Cadmus. You didn't die. You kept fighting. Kara, you've gone through things that you should never have had to go through and after this you can quit. You can start being Kara Danvers full time, but never blame yourself. You are strong. Stronger than me, and it's not because of your super strength. Don't hide your pain. Show it. Show how you fought through this crucible and came out better than before."

She nodded, her eyes clearing from the tears. She gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Oliver. I never would have thought you would be the one to talk this through with."

The corners of his mouth tilted upwards. "I didn't either. Let's go. The rest are waiting for us."

The two walked together in silence, Kara already feeling lighter after expressing the pent up fear and aggression she had been holding for the past few weeks. From the moment she put on the cape, she had thrown herself in the limelight. It was a dangerous line of work, and she was positive she hadn't exactly weighed the pros and cons when popping up onto the superhero radar. Kara had the heart of a hero, but she didn't want to admit that she was at peace with dying. She wanted a hero's death, something honorable that the House of El would be proud of. She feared the cowardly death that her mother had endured. The guilt that Alura had to deal with became too much for her to bear and instead of living with it and escaping with her daughter, she found her release in death. The woman rocketed her only child to a world where it was impossible to tell whether or not she would be safe. It was that cowardly form of abandonment that made Kara rethink her opinion of her mother. She had always placed Alura on a pedestal, believing that she was perfect in every way. It was the natural belief of a child who loved her mother, but the more she faced and the more she lived life, she began to realize the flaws that she had. She began to see them in herself, and it terrified her. Kara loved her mother, but she didn't want to be like her. She didn't want to have a legacy of being someone who chose death over guilt.

The two of them stopped where the crowd of people were currently watching Thea about to roundhouse kick Rene's head off. They flinched when they heard the hard slap against his head and the crumple of the body that followed soon after. Thea landed softly on the mat and grinned triumphantly.

"Were you even trying?" she asked, offering her hand to the man who took it, begrudgingly.

"Of course not. I'm not tryin' to hurt you," he retorted, rubbing his jaw where a purple bruise was already starting to appear.

"You need to start to," Oliver said, walking up to the two of them. "This isn't a joke. Fight her."

Rene raised his eyebrows at him. "I know Thea can handle herself, but I'm not sur—" He ducked just in time before his jaw caught another hit.

Oliver advanced toward him, making the man back up as he tried to avoid being hurt. He glanced into the man's eyes. Or killed.

"Hoss, I don't know what yo—" He barely avoided another hit from him, stumbling backwards.

"Never get distracted!" he yelled, his boot connecting with Rene's knee.

The man fell down and Oliver wrapped his arms around his neck. Rene struggled against his grasp, his anger quickly igniting. Oliver released him, pushing him away slightly. His eyes wide, Rene stepped forward to attack him until Oliver pointed his bow, already nocked with an arrow, at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rene screamed, more pissed at getting beat again than at Oliver.

"These people almost killed Kara! They've killed countless others, and they've always been five steps ahead! You want to joke around, have a little fun, then get out now. I don't have time for games. Cadmus is stronger than Darhk, more ruthless than Chase, and more united than we are. We won't stand a chance unless you get your head out of your ego and in this team."

Rene's anger deflated as he recalled his encounter with Kara. He had felt threatened by her and Barry at first, but anyone with eyes could see her dedication and heart. She was strong, stronger than anyone he had ever seen, and if this group had almost beaten her, then Oliver was right. He often found himself annoyed and angry anytime he got his ass whooped and felt the need to lash out at whoever had beaten him instead of learning from it.

"I'm sorry, Hoss," he said, gritting his teeth. "I'll do it your way."

"Good," Oliver responded, everyone crowding over to him. "Dinah against Thea, assuming you're in?" he asked, remembering her wish to leave the team.

She nodded. "Hell yeah."

He gave her a small smile. "I'm glad. Rene against Thea, Dig against Carter, Dinah against Amaya, Mick against Nate, Kara against Kendra, and I'm against Wally. Iris and Joe, you can decide how you want to contribute."

The pairs split off, Wally slapping his hands together and rubbing them together while approaching Oliver.

"Are you sure about this, Oliver?" he asked afraid he might hurt the man.

"What has Barry told you about me?"

Wally raised his eyebrows. "Not much really. Why?"

"No reason. Let's go."

Lightning flashed in his eyes, and he rushed the man, hoping to surprise him. His shoulder slammed into the wall, and his body slowed. He rubbed his shoulder, looking towards the spot where he had just been. Blinking quickly, he tried again only to find himself trip over a wire. His body tumbled and he slip across the floor, groaning. Two arms wrapped around his neck, and he flailed, trying to get him to release his grip. Wally began vibrating, using what Barry taught him, and phasing through his arms. Oliver slipped through empty air, regaining his balance quickly and anticipating the hit that was already coming. He ducked and slammed his elbow into the figure behind him, forcing Wally to his knees. He strung an arrow and pointed it at his neck. Wally raised his hands and Oliver lowered the bow.

Angrily, Wally stood up, and glared at him. "What was that supposed to do? Embarrass me?"

"Calm down."

"Calm down? What do you even expect to do without powers?" Wally said, seething at losing the fight.

"Apparently, despite not having powers, I can still knock you on your ass. I also seem to remember carrying you during the fight against the Dominators, so all I expect from you is a little respect. I know what I'm doing. You're young and you're unexperienced, and you are extremely cocky. You have a lot of power at your disposal, but you seem to treat it like a toy. There's a weight to powers. There's a heaviness. You are able to do the impossible and save people in the blink of an eye, yet you seem to have no clear motive. You say you want to be a hero, yet you thrive in the public eye. Those two never ever go together. So why are you here Wally? Do you just want to be seen as a hero again because if that's the truth then you'd better get out now."

Wally's breaths evened and he nodded at him. His ego was hit, and he wanted to scream and hit someone, but he couldn't refute what he had said. At times, he had been so absorbed in how people viewed him that he made stupid mistakes. It was different being a natural hero and getting powers than being surrounded by the them and coveting them until you had them. To Barry it was always a part of who he was. He was a hero. He had the heart of one. But Wally wanted the glory. The pride in his father's eyes, and the love from the public. It was a driving force behind his rise to be a superhero, and he had loved every second of it. He wasn't prepared for the toll and the responsibility that it took to be one. He almost crushed from the pressure of having to save Iris's life. He could learn a lot from someone like Oliver.

"Okay. You're right. Let's do it your way."

Oliver nodded and the fight resumed, Oliver constantly pointed out flaws in Wally's technique.

Kara turned towards the woman in front of her, extending her arm. "Hi, I'm Kara. I'm, uh, I guess you could say new here."

The woman smiled at her, grabbing her hand and shaking it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kendra. I'm new here too. Sort of." She turned to look at the others who were currently engaged in battles that looked like they were to the death. "I guess we should start."

The circled each other slowly. Kendra slowly extended her wings, causing Kara's mouth to drop open. Shaking out the surprise, Kara zipped over to the woman and shoved her to the ground. Raising her arm to hit her, the woman pulled a mace out of seemingly nowhere and whacked her in the head. The electric pulse from the weapon shocked her, and a memory flashed in front of Kara's eyes.

* * *

 _"Supergirl! Wake up!"_

 _She shook and opened her eyes, groaning to see Lillian in front of her holding something in her hand. She tried to focus on it, but her eyes kept swimming, causing a headache to grow. She squirmed, trying to break free. The raw skin on her wrist rubbed against the chains that held her on the table, and blood poured from the open wound. She winced at the pain but kept at it, determined to be free._

 _"Supergirl, that's of no use. The cuffs are made of Kryptonite. You will not be free. I suggest you stay still or this will be more painful than it could have been."_

 _Kara immediately stopped._

 _"Good girl. Now, while this pains me, I need to test your reactions to electricity. Your fights with Leslie Willis were very intriguing. I would like to know if that is another one of your weaknesses."_

 _Kara flinched as Lillian laughed. She waved the object around before staring her in the eye and plunging it in her side. She screamed as the electricity coursed through her body. Her body shook and spasmed, and she tore at the cuffs in a vain attempt to run away. Tears ran down the side of her face as her back arched. Finally, the pain stopped, and she fell back onto the table, breathing heavily. Lillian leaned over, hair slipping from her bun and falling onto Kara's face. The woman laid a hand on her cheek._

 _"Good job, Kryptonian. That's all for now." She smiled at her and turned away, her heels clicking as she walked._

* * *

Kara flipped to the side, the mace cracking against her head. Her body fell to the ground, and Kara's head smacked against the side of the floor. She groaned, and Kendra rushed over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" She pulled her up, twisting her several different ways to see if any part of her was injured.

"I-I'm okay, Kendra. It wasn't you fault. Well, kind of, but not really. I blacked out for a second. Let's go again."

"What?" She asked incredulous. "I don't think that's a good idea. We should take a break or somethin—"

"No. I'm fine. Let's go again."

The woman nodded, still wary of the whole situation. She didn't know this woman very well, but if she said she was fine, she wasn't going to question it. The two stood up, and eyed each other, walking slowly. Before Kendra could even react, she was on the ground, staring into two very red eyes. Kendra raised her hands in feint surrender and twisted her legs to throw her off. Kara fell to the side, and Kendra jumped to her feet, her wings propelling her upwards. She started to fly towards the blonde but was thrown off by a gust of cold air. Her body shuddered, and she brought her arms to her side in an attempt to warm herself. She pushed through the suddenly chilly air to attack her, moving quickly. A beam of light shot from her eyes, and Kendra barely leapt out the way. Kara smiled and pushed off from the ground. Her body catapulted towards her and tackled her to the ground, pinning her arms to the ground.

Kendra, breathing heavily, smiled at her. "Wow. I was not expecting that. Who are you?"

Kara grinned and offered her hand. "Kara Zor-El Danvers. Otherwise known as Supergirl on my earth."

"Yo-your earth? You're kidding right."

"Oliver didn't tell you?"

"Oliver didn't tell me anything except to get here and hear a proposition. I figured me and Carter have had enough time off. I want to help."

"Well then, yes another earth. And another planet."

Kendra's eyes widened as she took in the new information. It was shocking and unbelievable, but she couldn't help but not be surprised. She'd never fought or met someone of her caliber. She was stronger, faster, and probably a lot more experienced, despite her strange reaction to an electric mace. It wasn't something she'd expect to see from an earth like this, or any similar. Of course she was from another planet.

"Well, Kara Zor-El Danvers, it is very nice to meet you. You were straight with me, so I'll give you a glimpse into my life. I'm a reincarnated princess from Egypt."

Kara laughed. "What an interesting group."

The two of them chuckled and talked, getting to know one another and discussing techniques and styles of fighting they had learned from their long long lives.

The other pairs remained fighting, each person in anticipation of the fight of their lives. It was no joke, and none had seen Oliver more paranoid and controlling than now. His seriousness and looming pessimistic outlook on the facility, just served to remind them of the consequences should even one-part fail. It started to seem like the beginning of the end for Cadmus and anyone who even dared to stand against the them.

* * *

 **Earth-38**

"Alex, quit hitting Clark! You're supposed to be helping him with his technique not venting your anger!" J'onn yelled from the back.

They were in the D.E.O.'s kryptonite training room, with the levels turned up to forgo any advantage Clark had over her. They had realized that Clark relied on brute strength and his abilities rather than intelligent thinking. Not surprising, Alex thought to herself as she landed another kick to his abdomen. He stumbled backwards, his hands flying to his stomach as he hunched over.

"I agree with J'onn! Quit hitting me!" Clark yelled at her.

She rolled her eyes at the man. "If I didn't hit you, how would you learn? This is ridiculous. You are flailing around like a blind man, expecting to hit me. Without your powers, you're almost as bad as Winn. At least he managed to whack someone with a rock and knock him out. You haven't even landed anything."

"I resent that comment!" Winn yelled from the sidelines, secretly trying to take pictures. Kara would want to see this.

She waved off his interjection, turning back to Clark. "If there's too much Kryptonite in that building, you are going to die. If not from the Kryptonite, then from your absolute lack of balance and precision. Strength is one thing, but you are allowing me to use it against you. Stand on the balls of your feet. Hands up and covering your face. Push with your foot to use the full amount of your strength against me. Cover your face. Look around and be aware of your surroundings. Your reflexes are supposed to be increased. How am I still able to hit you?" she asked, her fist smacking against the side of his face.

His finger brushed away with a drop a blood, and he shook his head out, determined to show them that he was an asset, not a bumbling idiot who didn't know a hook from a jab. He wasn't stupid. He knew Alex was practically glowing at the fact that she was getting to punch him and call it "training."

When Kara had first landed, he was confused. He was in his twenties and just figuring out how to balance all aspects of his life on his own. Throwing a teenaged girl who didn't speak any English into the mix just didn't seem like a good decision for either of them. So instead, he gave her to the Danvers in hopes of giving her a chance at a semi-normal earthly life that he had gotten. He avoided her for years, unsure of what to make of a girl from his home planet. He had read about Krypton. He knew almost everything about it, but he always viewed it as a sacred place that he was from. He didn't have the memories or the experiences that Kara had and it frightened him. Clark couldn't cope with the fact that his faraway home was embodied in this small girl, so he decided to avoid her altogether. It was cruel and unfair to her, but he still did it and somehow she still managed to forgive him.

He rubbed his jaw. Alex, not so much.

He lifted his hands up, just in time to block another hit. Alex twisted her body, slamming her elbow into his nose. He stumbled backwards and tripped over her foot. The minute his body touched the ground, Alex was on top of him, her fist dangerously close to his face. Angry, he flipped her off of him. She landed with a thud and clamored to her feet quickly. Clark's eyebrows narrowed, and he rushed the woman. His eyes kept moving, shifting around Alex's body, anticipating each move she made. Seeing an opening, he tried to take advantage of it and connected, driving his hand through and hitting her shoulder. She fell to the ground and groaned.

J'onn ran over to them and helped her up. She glared at the Kryptonian and gestured for J'onn and Winn to give them some space. The two of them hesitantly left, and Alex and Clark stood, uncomfortably glaring at each other.

Alex cleared her throat. "Good job. You're learning to use more than your powers. I should never be able to beat you but don't be bitter at the fact that I can. I was trained by J'onn and have fought a Kryptonian before along with several different Aliens."

Clark nodded. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath and began. "Why do you hate me, Alex? I'm Kara's cousin."

She scoffed. "I don't hate yo—" she started until he cut her off.

"Don't lie. We need to get this out of the way before we go into battle. I need to know I can count on you and you need to know you can count on me."

She shook her head. "Take a guess, Clark. Take a guess why I hate you. You aren't her cousin. You don't have the right to be called Kal-El. She lost her entire world. Everything she had ever known as a little girl. Her mom, her dad, her friends, her family, and the only way she got through it was by knowing she had a mission: protect her cousin. Not only did she get stuck in the Phantom zone for more years than she had, she crash landed and then got abandoned by the one she was supposed to protect. Her only blood abandoned her. He never called, rarely visited, and expects that everything be fine. I'm the one she cried to when she explained how important family was on Krypton. She cried to me. I was there for her. You weren't and no matter what you do and what Kara says, I'm not sure I can forgive you for that."

Clark's chest constricted as each word she said dug deeper and deeper into his chest. He wanted to deny it and say she was lying, but he knew she wasn't. He had done everything she accused him of. It was his biggest regret, and now it might be too late to rectify it.

"Jus-just focus, Clark. It's my job to train you to make sure you don't get your selfish ass killed, not have a heart to heart chit chat. Focus on the job and get Kara back. That's all we need to do."

He nodded. "Okay. Whatever you say, Alex." His head told him not to. He knew that he couldn't take it back, but he couldn't help it. He had to put her in her place. "Just remember… I don't seem to recall you being the world's best sister when she first arrived. You don't have any room to criticize me. I don't claim to be a saint or the best person I could've when she first arrived, but you weren't either. So don't act like you have so much over me. I guess the only thing we can agree on is that Kara deserves more than either of us have given her."

Alex's eyes widened, and she blinked once, trying to digest what he had just said. Her fury ignited, and she tackled the man, driving him to the ground. He grunted but threw her off easily. He pinned her arms over her head, holding them in place as she squirmed against his strength. She screamed at him, tears running down her eyes. His anger dissipating, he pulled her into him and rubbed her back.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I shouldn't have said that. I-I need to be better," he admitted, wetness forming around the rims of his eyes.

"I-I-I need to talk to her. Each time we need to t-talk sh-she goes away. She g-gets dra-dragged from her ho-home," she said, stumbling through the words. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Clark, I'm afraid that this is the last time. I'm afraid we are going to breach Cadmus and she is going to die." She shook her head at him. "I don't like you, and I probably never will, but I shouldn't have thrown those things in your face. I'm sorry, Clark."

He nodded at her. "I understand why and you have nothing to apologize for. We will get her back. We will. I promise we will."

Alex gave him a faint grin just as J'onn walked into the room, eying the two of them. His eyes glowed red for a slight second before disappearing, and he nodded at Alex. She winked at him.

"All good over here, J'onn. We're going to get her back," Alex told him, the both of them standing up.

"That's great. Bruce is calling a meeting. We leave in two hours. We need to be outside the facility as soon as possible. Everyone is clear on their missions."

The three walked back to the main room where everyone had gathered. Bruce stood in front of the monitors with Winn sitting at the computer behind him. He was apprehensive and not confident in their odds, but he still held out hope that they could somehow pull this off.

"Alright. Everyone has been training. You all know what we are supposed to do. Winn and Cisco have made a secure link for our coms, allowing us to talk with each other. There is a plane out front for everyone to make their way to. Grab your gear, let's go."

The group split off into their teams, discussing their different strategies. Alex turned towards Barry, increasing her pace to catch up with him.

"Barry!" He turned around, and the two of them entered onto the plane, grabbing two secluded seats near the back.

"What's up, Alex?" His eyes were alert, but his hands gave away his nervousness. His fingers tapped the wood, nearly burning a hole through the table. She placed a hand over his.

"It's alright, Barry. Talk to me. What's going on?"

He raised an eyebrow at him. "I should be asking you that."

"I guess we're both a little nervous."

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I've waited for weeks to be able to do this. To be able to get revenge for what they did to her. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I get there."

Alex smiled at him. "I do. I'm going to beat the hell out of them and bring Kara back, Lillian be damned."

"Yeah." He stared off distantly, a million thoughts jumbling through his mind. It was time. In a few hours Kara could be here with him. He could have her back.

The plane was silent, everyone preparing for what might be one of the hardest fights of their lives. It was unnerving and exciting, but everyone was too focused on the mission to say anything trivial. Small talk was silenced and the group stared off in the sky wondering if this would be the fight that would kill them.

* * *

 **Earth-1**

Kara smiled at Oliver, giving him a thumbs up. He winked at her and the group stood just behind the tree line in front of a large building. They were segregated in groups to attack different parts of the warehouse. She was with Oliver, Dig, Thea, and Felicity. The other team was Curtis, Rene, Kendra and Dinah and the final had Amaya, Mick, Nate, Carter and Wally. Harry, Tracy, Joe, and Iris were running things from S.T.A.R. Labs and would be monitoring to make sure everything was going according to the plan.

She nodded to herself, trying to reassure herself. Simple. Secure the device and make sure Felicity has time to disarm it. She shifted in her new suit. Harry had approached her two hours earlier, grinning ear to ear at the new suit that he and Cisco had been working on for a while. It was light blue, darker streaks running down the sides of it. Her cape was a thick velvet red with gold lining the edges of it. It clipped in the front of her throat but didn't prohibit her breathing. Instead of the skirt, her suit went down the sides of her legs. Her boots came past her knees with a small opening to allow her to bend them. The sides of her wrists had gold gauntlets coming up almost to her elbow and a small shoulder shield on the side of her arm. Her crest was positioned in the center of her chest, looking more like it was connected instead of ironed on and she had a red and gold belt fitted around her waist.

It was beautifully made and more than she had ever expected. He explained the components of the suit, telling her they had placed biometric scanners on the insides of it, courtesy of a suggestion from Caitlin Snow. They told her they could measure her oxygen intake, solar absorption, and anything down to her smallest atom. It was incredibly advanced, and she couldn't believe the smartest people in the world at the D.E.O. hadn't thought to make something like it.

Oliver walked up to her, fully suited, his bow in hand. "You ready?"

She took in a shaky breath. "Is it pathetic that I'm still a little scared? I know you guys have my back, it's just that I don't want to go through that again."

"I understand. But listen, Kara. You're the strongest person I've ever met, and I'm not talking about your physical strength. We are going to get you through this."

Kara nodded, and smiled knowingly. He frowned as she pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm not much of a hugger, you know?"

"Shut up, Oliver. Yes, you are."

Felicity sighed through the comms. "Aw, that was so cute. She's right though, Oliver. As much as you hate to admit it, you're a hugger. Good ole' Green Arrow is a hugger." She laughed.

"Overwatch, focus. We have a job at hand."

"I know, I know. Shift change happened five minutes ago. Ten more minutes and we can breach."

"Everyone clear?" Oliver asked through the line.

A chorus of yes's echoed through their ears. They were jittery, nervous, and most likely very unprepared, but they were ready. They wouldn't fail.

"Good. Ten minutes."

* * *

 **Earth-38**

Barry pulled the mask over his face and turned to his right. Cisco smiled at him, placing his visor over his eyes. The two fist bumped.

"You good, dude?"

"Yeah. Sure. We're just going to break into a super secure facility with aliens and science experiments, but whatever you know?"

Alex raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you need a minute, Barry?"

Before he could respond, Bruce walked up beside the both of them. "If you do, you've got ten."

He walked away without a word, going to check up on the other groups.

Caitlin grinned. "He's a real ray of sunshine, isn't he?"

"He's got the social skills of a rock," Alex muttered underneath her breath.

Barry jumped around, waving his arms around his body in an attempt to loosen the tension. He sighed outwardly and shook his neck out. "I trust you guys to watch my back; nothing is going to go wrong. I trust you guys to watch my back; nothing is going to go wrong."

Alex furrowed her eyebrows. "What is that? So kind of weird mantra?"

He glared at her while the other two chuckled.

Winn's voice broke into the line, shutting everyone up. "This has been fun, but the time is up. It's now or never." He was nearly frozen from fear at being this close to the battle. He had been put under pressure, but in the middle of a fight was not his element. He wasn't comfortable.

"Canary, Atom, you're up," Bruce ordered through the comms.

"Copy that. Proceeding." The two of them looped their arms around each other and walked towards the two guards in front of the door. They immediately raised their guns towards the two intruders causing them both to throw their hands up.

"Whoa! Whoa! Man, chill out! I'm just here with my girlfriend and we were cruising along when we thought we might stop here to see what's going on."

"A likely story. Stay still and put your hands on your head."

Sara tilted her head at them. "Technically that's impossible. Which one do you want us to do because we can't do both."

"Hands on you head! Now!"

Sara and Ray complied, placing their hands on their head. The two soldiers grabbed their arms and dragged them inside, entering a five-digit code. The doors slide open and shut as soon as they stepped through. Sara tripped, causing the two guards to try and catch her. Ray slipped a device from his pocket onto the door and pressed the button on top. The colors blended with the wall, completely hiding it from sight.

"Sorry, fellas. I must have lost my footing a little bit. Might have had something to do with the shock of seeing all these creepy cells here," she said, righting herself and nodding towards the small rooms lined across the wall.

"Just keep your head down and walk. We're taking you to the boss."

"Cool. Can't wait." She winked at Ray who smiled back.

They stopped at the control center where three guys were sitting at designated seats in front of large computers. The doors to the panel opened quickly, making a soft clicking sound.

"Damn it, Johnson! Did you leave your post?" one of them said, standing up.

"Wh-what? I mean yeah, but these two were on the property."

"Idiot! Boss told us to never leave our posts!" he grumbled and looked at them. "And what is she wearing?"

Sara smiled and nodded to Ray. "It's just a costume. He's right though. You should never leave your post."

Johnson turned to look at her. "Huh?"

Sara and Ray galvanized into action. Sara grabbed the contractible bo staff from her pocket and swung it at Johnson, the metal pole extending and smashing into his jaw. His body crumpled to the ground as she flipped it towards the other guard. Ray pressed a button on his glove, and his suit began to unfold, sliding and connecting to cover his whole body. His armored hand connected with the other three, sending their bodies collapsing. Sara grinned at him.

"That's neat. Where'd you get that?"

"Cisco. Said he got the idea from a comic book or something."

"Nice. Let's get J'onn and Winn in here. They didn't set off any alarms, so we should be good for phase two. Get going to RD."

"Copy." He twisted his dial on the suit and shrunk down, slowly making his way to the eastern side of the building.

"Manhunter and uh-Overwatch? You're clear. All teams proceed."

Winn turned to Barry. "Overwatch?"

He smiled at him. "Just a nickname for someone on our earth. Guess you should have an Overwatch here too."

All groups entered through the door and ran to rendezvous with Sara. J'onn and Winn stopped in the control center, Winn quickly hacking through their database and opening all the gates.

Loud sirens pierced their ears, and their hands flung to the side of their heads to try and block the high pitched sound.

"UNAUTHORIZED METAHUMAN AND ALIEN PRESENCE IN THE FACILITY. EVACUATE. CODE RED IN EFFECT."

Barry turned to Alex. "Well, that wasn't part of the plan."

* * *

 **Earth-1**

Kara stared at Oliver, her face scrunched in pain as the sirens blared above them. He ran to her side, grabbing her arm.

"Supergirl? Are you okay?" he asked, screaming over the piercing noise.

"Get those sirens off!" She sunk to her knees, clutching her ears in her hand.

Oliver motioned to Curtis. "Terrific! Disable the alarms right now!"

Curtis nodded, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Oliver turned to the others. "Bravo, stay here and guard the control center. The mission is still a go. Teams disperse! Kid, I need you to superspeed to RD and take out all the scientists. Take the device from Overwatch and download all the information off their computers."

A gust of wind knocked them back as Wally sped to the other side of the building. Loud clanging from behind them forced all of them to turn around. Their eyes connected with the monsters that were quickly making their way to them.

"Terrific, get those alarms off and shut the northern gates!"

Curtis slammed his finger onto the key, both the alarms stopping and the gate swinging down, the monsters blocked from entering. Supergirl quickly stumbled to her feet, swaying slightly. Oliver held her arm as he guided her to the southern side of the control center, Dig, Thea, and Felicity close behind.

"Alpha, make sure no one gets past those gates, and if they do, take them out!"

The team rushed through the entrance and ran down the hallway, praying the doors would hold.

Nate's skin slowly turned to steel and he smiled at Amaya. "We got this, right?"

She shrugged, touching the amulet around her neck and channeling the power of an elephant. "I sure as hell hope so. Not sure aliens are the primary enemies we fight against. This might go several shades of bad before the day is over."

"I'm glad you have so much faith in us." She smiled at him.

The two of them jumped, hearing the clanging of fists against the metal. Several punches were denting the integrity of the gate, making it whine as it bent.

"Uh, guys? Get ready. I'm not sure how long this will hold," Curtis called, fear coloring his face.

The door broke, sending the fragmented pieces flying at them. Carter flew up a few feet and caught a piece of the debris before it impaled Curtis. Mick smiled, raising his gun.

"Not too long apparently," Carter commented.

Oliver, Kara, Thea, Dig, and Felicity ran through the hallway, quickly trying to find the cloaking device. Kara tilted her head, and her eyes lit up in fear. Instinct propelled her forward, taking a blast in her chest, but protecting Felicity. Her body flew backwards, smashing into the wall.

Oliver raised his bow, instantly shooting the shaking scientist who had pulled the trigger. Dig rushed to the fallen Kryptonian, pulling her up.

"You good, Supergirl?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a little dazed." She pointed to the others. "There are more coming."

Oliver followed her finger, making eye contact with Sam Scudder. "Damn. How many times can I put this guy down?"

"Then maybe I should try," Thea called, leaping towards the suited man.

"Speedy, no!" Oliver yelled.

She ignored his warning, raising her bow and loosing an arrow. The man raised a mirror, the arrow disappearing and reentering from a different mirror behind them. Dig sucked in a breath, barely able to dodge the projectile.

Scudder rushed Thea while she was distracted, pushing her into a larger mirror beside them. Kara quickly stood up and froze it before she could be stuck, and Thea crashed into the solid ice, her arm making a sickening crack. Oliver ran towards him, and punched, Sam's face jerking backwards from the force. Scudder attempted a kick but was thrown back once again. Taking a different approach, he ran and jumped through a mirror, appearing behind Dig and whacking him over the head. Before he could react, he disappeared once again.

"Queen, you need to close his avenues. Give him one place to come out and then strike," Harry called through the coms from S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Copy. Supergirl! I want you to freeze all the mirrors except that one, got it?"

She nodded and super speeded around the room, blasts of chilled air hitting the mirrors around them. Scudder hopped from the only open mirror, confused as to why he landed there. Oliver smiled, and Sam's eyes widened, realizing what had happened. His head slammed backwards as Oliver drove his hand through and punched him hard in the face.

The group exchanged relieved looks before groaning at the sight of more people coming.

"Well, we didn't think this was going to be easy, did we?" Thea said, standing up and cradling her arm.

"Supergirl, the guys on the left. Speedy and Spartan, take out the ones on the right. I'm going to be covering Overwatch to make sure she gets enough time to disable the device. Overwatch, time?"

"Uh, might be a while. It's going to take me at least fifteen minutes."

"Great," Oliver muttered, lifting his bow.

* * *

 **Earth-38**

"Damn it, Bruce, hurry up!" Clark yelled, his feet barely touching the ground. His hands wrapped around the ten-foot monster's throat, trying to get him to release.

"I'm a little busy at the moment!" he yelled, flipping someone into the next. He grabbed the arm of the guy next to him, pushing his head in the wall. The man crumpled in an unconscious heap.

"Hey! Supes! Grey, says you need to cut off the zombie's air supply!"

Clark grunted against the force of the zombie as it slammed him into the wall, breaking through it. "Yeah, thanks," he groaned through strained breaths.

Firestorm unleashed a blast of fire at a gas canister near the fast approaching soldiers. The canister blew, blowing the group backwards into each other. He turned to help Clark but was thrown to the side by Roy Harper. Surprised, Jax hesitated and was hit in the face with a metal arm.

"Roy? Hey! Stop!" He raised his hands, backing away slowly.

Jefferson! You need to incapacitate him! Mr. Kent needs our assistance!

"I can't, Grey! What if I accidently hurt him?"

Roy squinted his eyebrows, turning around quickly. "Who are you talking to? Who are you guys?"

"Roy, calm down! It's Jax! We haven't met, but I'm a friend of Oliver's!"

"Who the hell is Oliver?" he asked, raising his metal arm. "I don't want to hurt you! Just get out of my way!"

Jefferson! Now!

Gritting his teeth, he pushed his hands forward, a short blast knocking into him. Roy slammed into a table, his head bouncing off the floor. Turning quickly to the side, he unleashed another blast at the zombie. Clark took advantage of the split second pause and twisted his arm around its neck. In one swift motion, the bone snapped and the body went limp.

Bruce kicked the head of the last soldier and twisted around to look at Jax. "Alright, labs are secure." He pressed his hand to his ear. "Overwatch, did you shut the gates yet?"

"Gates are shut, Prisoners are secured. I was able to override their emergency protocol."

"Good work. Atom?"

"Information downloaded. Heading to Bravo now."

"Charlie?" Static fizzled across the line. "Charlie, do you copy?" He swore. "Bravo, remain in position. Atom, make your way back and guard the control center. Deal with any loose prisoners we might have missed. Superman, Firestorm, and I are heading to the southern wing."

Clark wiped the dried blood off his lip and gestured to the crumpled body of Roy on the ground. "What do you want to do with him, Firestorm?"

"We can't just leave him here. We have to take him with us."

Clark nodded and swung the unconscious man on his shoulder. "I'll take him to the control center. You guys go."

They nodded, and Clark headed down the hallway to the control center. Bruce hesitated by the exit, a paper catching his eye.

"Bruce? Look at that! What is that?" Jeremiah asked, peering at the fuzzy visual from the suit cam.

"It's DNA strands. Nothing I've ever seen before. They seem to be cells of an infant, yet the next picture shows the same strands but more developed. The time stamp is only a week," he replied, hardly believing what he was saying. "They're growing something."

Jeremiah scrunched his face in horror. "Tha-that's Kara's DNA."

Bruce's hand immediately went to his ear, sure he misheard. "That's impossible."

"Not quite. When Kara was taken, they could have easily gotten several blood samples."

"Enough to clone?" he asked, skeptical.

"It doesn't quite like identical. The first one is definitely Kara's. I've analyzed enough of her blood to recognize it anywhere, but the second one I don't know. They could have spliced her DNA with someone else's."

"That's not good. The experiment is definitely not here, so they must have it at a different facility."

"I know. We need to get ahead of this. This could be worse than this Bizarro incident I've heard so much about. It just depends on whose DNA they mixed it with. By my calculations, the second sample is from a young preteen. At the rate it's growing, they could have a mature adult in a month."

"I'll grab their research. Maybe it'll give us a clue to who's involved."

"Then we might actually be able to gain some advantage over them," Jeremiah answered, hope brewing for the first time in weeks.

Alex's head slammed into the wall behind her, and Volcana's face taunted her from the front. "Your sister put up a much better fight than you did."

Alex slipped her foot behind hers and pulled it towards herself, making the woman fall. "Don't talk about my sister." She looked behind her and gave a thumbs up to Caitlin.

"Frost?"

Caitlin smiled and raised her hands, coating the ice villain with snow. "Not sure how long this will hold, Sentry!"

"Just hold her a little longer!" Alex yelled, grabbing the staff from her back.

The fire and cold in the room fluctuated the temperatures causing Barry to break out in a sweat only to have it chilled to his body a second later. He gasped and ducked before Girder could hit him. He twisted around and hit Mardon in the nose. Barry fell backwards, a blast of lightning striking him in the chest.

Alex gripped the perfectly weighted staff with two hands gestured to Caitlin to stop the cold flow. Winking at the pale villain in front of her, she swung the staff into her head. Her body flipped to the side and fell into the table.

"Frost, the Flash needs you!"

Caitlin nodded and sent a blast towards Girder. His body froze in mid-position, and Barry stood, slamming a vibrating fist into Mardon's jawline.

"Vibe, almost done?" They heard a yelp and a spark from the other side of the room.

Cisco cursed and slammed his hand on the device. "Sure, let's go with that. We were right! They installed a failsafe that would blow everything up if we just hit it. The programming is a little difficult, but I'm almost done!" Another spark leaped from the panel and zapped Cisco's finger.

"Damn that hurt! Just give me a minute!" The three of them crowded around the shorter man.

A green light lit, and Cisco raised his hand bringing it down in a celebratory fist. "Hell, yeah! I got it! We should be able to cross now!"

They heard a small beeping inside and leaned closer. "Uh, what is that?"

"Crap. The warehouse is about to explode. I must have triggered a last resort hidden wire when I disabled it. We have three minutes before this whole place erupts in flames."

Bruce and Jax slowed to a stop, just now finding them and hearing the distressed words he was saying. Cisco raised his hands, trying to open a breach but was thrown back, falling into Alex's arms. She leaned forward and caught him, pulling him back up.

"They aren't ready! If they don't disable the device on their side in the next ten minutes, we are all going to die."

"Well, that's just great," Alex muttered.

* * *

 **Earth-1**

"Overwatch! All the sections are clear! We need to get through!"

"Calm down! I'm done!" Felicity shouted, her fingers moving faster than they ever had before and slammed down on the last key in relief.

"Good! Supergirl? You ready?"

"I'm rea-" She started but was hit with a blast of lightning.

"Well, hi there, Supergirl! I see you got through both facilities. Not really much of an accomplishment. You idiots should know we didn't expect this to hold. This was just a distraction, but good job." A spark arched between fingers as she pointed towards Oliver. "Stay there, pretty boy. I'm not finished."

A small breach opened slightly, slowly growing in size. All of them looked towards the breach.

"Guys, the device powered down, but it's about to reboot in ten minutes! We need to get through!"

Livewire laughed. "Good job. It was inevitable. In ten minutes the device on the other side will blow and everyone there will die, including your cousin, Supes. The explosion is full of that material that weakens you. I'm not really keen on the science, but you get the idea. This warehouse is currently surrounded with explosives that will detonate in three minutes as well. Either way, the barrier will close, but you will all be too dead to take advantage of it."

"What do you want?" Oliver said through slow breaths. He couldn't see any way out of this.

"I'm glad you asked. I want Supergirl. I was told I could have her. You all can leave, but I get Supergirl. She's the only one who can stop their plans. You have just enough time for mini Flash to speed all of you out of here. Well, after I release him. Cocky little guy ran a little too fast and forgot to look at his surroundings. I have him in a boot. Clock is ticking."

"No. We won't do it," Oliver answered, amazed she thought he would take the deal.

Kara shook her head. "I have to. I can't let you all die for me."

Oliver stepped forward, trying to move closer to her. Livewire smiled and a streak of lightning connected with his chest. He flew backwards and Thea and Felicity ran after him.

"NO!" Kara screamed, her hand going to her mouth. "Alright! Alright! Stop! I'm coming, just stop!"

"Good choice, Supergirl."

The breach pulsed and Barry sped out of the hole. A streak of light followed him as he tackled Livewire to the ground. Blasts of lightning broke from her hands as she fought against the speedster on top of her. Cisco stepped through and opened a quick breach.

"Everyone through! It leads to S.T.A.R. Labs!" Felicity and Thea grabbed Oliver by both sides and ran through the breach. Alex grabbed Kara by the shoulders.

"Supergirl, let's go!"

Kara gasped and grabbed her sister, shielding her body as a blast of lightning struck her. Alex pushed her away and smacked Livewire with the end of her pole, effectively knocking her out. Barry stood up, barely conscious and his suit half burned off with the side of his body covered in blood. Kara grabbed Barry by his arm, ignoring her panicked instinct, and pulled him through the second breach Cisco opened. She laid him down on the floor and ran back through the open breach. Cisco called after her.

"Hey! Supergirl, get back here! You're going to die!"

"Cisco, you have to get everyone out of the facility on my earth! The scientists, soldiers, our team! Make sure everyone is out. No one dies. I'll do the same here."

"Damn it, Kara, just get over here!" Alex called, stepping through as well. Kara gently pushed her back.

"Alex, we don't have much time! I'll be okay and you guys can come get me after. You need to help Cisco. He isn't superfast like me! He'll need all the help he can get. Some of the prisoners need to be released and the rest of our team needs to get out! Help Barry and help the others. I'll be okay."

Alex shook her head. "No, Kara, last time you were kidnapped and it was all my fault."

"Alex, go! Please."

"Kara, promise me!'

"I promise now go!" Kara pushed her sister back through and turned on her heels, heading as fast as she could to the RD section of the building.

"Harry? Who's out?"

"Kara?" Iris said through the com. "This is Iris. My dad and Harry are advising the others. So far everyone's out except Wally and a few soldiers and scientists. The prisoners who wanted out have gone and Alpha took care of the violent ones."

"Alright, I'm on my way to Wally right now."

"Kara, hurry! The place is about to blow in six minutes, and we're picking up major spikes in Kryptonite. The bombs are laced with it."

"I got this."

Kara flew through the building, moving faster than she ever had before. A sudden explosion knocked her from the air, and she fell to the ground. She looked at her hands and saw green pumping through them.

"Kara, one of the bombs went off early!" Iris shrieked, worried for both her brother and the woman who was determined to save everyone.

"Kara? This is Harry. I heard about your ordeal. The state you're in makes you more susceptible to the effects of Kryptonite. Your immune system, so to speak, of that substance is severely depleted. You won't make it through a couple more of those bombs."

"I-I have to," she grunted, pulling herself to her feet. She entered through the door, seeing Wally chained to a table with metal handcuffs that glowed a bright blue on the sides.

"Supergirl? I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention, and she was able to get the jump on me!"

Kara ignored the apology and slammed the bottom of her hand on the cuff, breaking it in half. "G-go g-get the o-others! M-make sure th-the facility is clear of p-people!" she stuttered, another explosion rocking the building.

"Are you okay?" Wally asked bending down.

"Go!" she yelled, propelling the man into action. The blur raced through the building, clearing the rest of the rooms.

She stumbled back to her feet and took off towards the exit. A small cry from the other side of the room showed a man with a slab of concrete pining his leg down. She immediately changed course and kneeled beside him. Her leg and head throbbed with each second, the injuries she felt when she was recovering coming back in full.

"Don't worry! I'll get you out!"

"Don't touch me, alien!" he screamed, recoiling from her touch.

"Please! Let me help you!" She recognized him from her earth. She couldn't place it, but she was sure he was once one her earth.

She slipped her fingers under the piece of concrete and lifted, her strength barely allowing her to lift it. She felt the blood on her fingers as she pulled the piece of the building up as far as she could. Kara flung it to the side and pulled the man up. She threw his arm over her shoulder and rose a few feet in the air.

"Kara, you need to go now!" Iris and Harry yelled in unison.

Kara nodded, and the thoughts in her head pushed her forward. She wouldn't die. She wouldn't let anyone die. Barry and Alex along with countless others were counting on her. Screaming in agony, she increased in speed and broke through the building just as another explosion released the rest of the Kryptonite. The force threw the both of them forward, and she fell onto the grass, her head hitting the ground. The man beside her was unconscious, but she could still hear his heart beating. Satisfied, she laid her head down and closed her eyes. She could faintly hear the sound of someone yelling her name, but she her eyes shut and her eyes lolled backwards as she laid there, unconscious.

The slow, steady beeping made her eyes open. Her body ached in a way she hadn't felt since she pushed Fort Rozz into space. After several seconds, she pushed up, groaning the whole way, until she saw Barry in the seat next to her, his head in his hands with his eyes closed. She smiled and reached out a hand to stroke his cheek. He jerked awake but grinned when he saw it was her.

"Kara," he mumbled, happily.

"What?" she asked, smiling at him.

"I'm just glad we're finally together."

"Me too." She leaned forward, her lips meeting his in a gentle kiss. They pulled backwards and stared into each other's eyes.

"What happened? I thought you were half dead. You looked like you sunbathed in hell."

He laughed, grabbing her hand. "Well, after you left to save the others, I healed pretty quickly. Cisco and Alex were able to evacuate the rest of the building and save everyone. And so did you. I don't know how you do it. You risked your life for people who wanted you dead. You're absolutely amazing."

She blushed, smiling at his praise.

"Then Wally came back with Harry and the two of them found you unconscious about 100 feet from the explosion. They took you back to S.T.A.R. and laid you next to Oliver, who's fine by the way. Just a little shook. Then Alex and I came back to get you and bring you back here. You've been under sun lamps for the past two days. Luckily, you didn't get Kryptonite poisoning again. I don't think I could've handled that again."

"Yeah, me either." She scrunched her face. "The guy I saved. What was his name?"

"He's James Harper. He jumped earth's a year back and has been working with them a while now. He was an avid Cadmus follower, but ever since you saved his life, he can't stop raving about you. I think you changed his mind. He's about ready to put on a suit and become a superhero."

She smiled. "That's good at least."

He bit his lip. "But Alex is still a little pissed."

Kara groaned, throwing her head back. "I bet."

Barry rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of her hand. "I guess we were both really worried."

"Yeah?" she asked.

He leaned forward and kissed her again, savoring the moment between the two of them. "Yeah. How about we just run away together? You don't have to die by Kryptonite, and I don't have to get cooked alive."

She laughed. "I would love to, but we can't."

"I know."

She straightened and looked him in the eye. "Are you staying?"

He frowned. "Nope."

Her eyes widened, but quickly narrowed as she saw his shoulders shake in laughter. "Jerk."

"Of course I am. I want to be wherever you are. At least then I can make sure you don't leave and get yourself killed. I don't think you really understand how painful that is."

Her eyes softened. "What about your earth and your friends?"

"I have a feeling some are going to want to stay here. And still," he leaned forward, "maybe all I need is you."

She leaned forward as well, their faces inches apart. "I love you, Barry Allen."

He smiled and slipped his finger underneath her chin. Grinning, he pressed his lips to hers and pulled back slightly, his forehead resting on hers. "I love you too, Kara Danvers."


	14. Chapter 14- A Word of Wisdom

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I hope you guys liked the last chapter! It was really long, and I'm sorry for that, and I'm sorry again because this one isn't that much shorter. It's mainly transitions as people move from earth to earth with a little action, but I hope it's good nonetheless. I really enjoy reading your guys' comments, so please keep them coming! Feedback, good or bad, is much appreciated. Also, tell me what you thought of the crossover! I personally loved it! I thought it was extremely well done. Much better than last year. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 14**

Kara smiled, looking up at the ceiling. Finally. Weeks and weeks of waiting had finally been rewarded, and she was safe. She had Barry forever, and she was back on the earth she belonged on. The prospect almost seemed too good to be true for all the pain and suffering it took to get here. The consistent nightmares and sharp pain in her body seemed to pale in comparison to the fact everything she ever wanted was finally coming true.

The door clicked open, and Kara groaned inwardly. Alex walked in carrying a bag and slipped into the seat next to the bed she was sitting in. Kara sat up, her face scrunched in anticipation.

"Hey, Alex."

Alex smiled softly, holding up the bag. "I brought pot stickers and alcohol."

Kara raised an eyebrow at her. "You know I can't get drunk, right?"

"Of course I do. But I can, and I feel like I might need to drown myself in it for each time you risk your life."

"Alex,—"

Alex shook her head, grinning at her. "Don't. I know. You're a hero, and I'm proud of you, Kara. You scared the hell out of me, but you came back and you survived. Somehow I know that whatever happens in our life, we will always come back to each other. Whether death, the Black Mercy, or dimensional barriers, nothing is going to keep us away. We both know what we really need to talk about."

"Alex, are you sure this is the right time?" Kara asked, wanting to avoid this conversation with everything in her.

Alex sighed, looking at her sister. "There's never going to be a perfect time. I have things I need to say, and for all we know, we will wait and then aliens will attack."

Kara nodded at her, grudgingly accepting that it was time and urging her to continue.

"Kara, I never meant what I said when I told you to choose between Mon-El and us. I should have never said that. Kara, you mean so much to me. You're my sister forever and there is nothing that will ever change that. I-I can't imagine what I'd do without you. You were right. I wasn't thinking clearly. I should've listened to you."

Kara's heart broke, seeing Alex so torn. Every day since she first stepped in their house, she couldn't help but feel like an intrusion. Their family was perfect before she came. A mother, a father, and a brilliant teenaged girl, and then Kara walked in and shattered every foundation their family had been built on. Their father was taken from them, the relationship between mother and daughter broken, and an alien they were all forced to protect. It was a burden they insisted wasn't her fault, but she knew better.

But seeing Alex in front of her made her reevaluate her previous feelings. She always knew Alex loved her, but the way she said it truly made her feel as if she was a Danvers.

Instantly, Kara reached forward and wrapped her arms around her sister, both of their eyes misting.

"Alex, I forgive you. Always. I'm sorry too."

Alex frowned and wiped at her eyes. "Why?"

"It's my fault we haven't been like we were before. We used to share everything. It's just ever since Mon-El…I just…I'm sorry."

"No, Kara. Tell me. You've been bottling your feelings. You haven't given yourself a chance to feel. To move on from what you had to do."

"I-I killed him, Alex. I sent him to his death. How can I move on with Barry when I know that I killed the first person I truly loved? Barry's great. He's so great, but Mon-El was my first love. He always will be, and I can't help but feel ashamed at being so human. I'm not supposed to feel this way. What if something happens to Barry? I didn't come to earth to have a job and a boyfriend. I came to take care of Kal, but I can't even do that. My purpose was to be earth's hero."

"No, no, Kara, you didn't kill him! You didn't! He's alive because of you! You saved him, and I know he's out there somewhere. He's living a better life because of what you did, and you shouldn't let it stop you from being happy. You saved them all, and Barry's, well, he's good. You two are perfect." She paused. "Kara, you deserve this. Your life has been far from normal, but this love between you and Barry is perfect. It's normal and wonderful, and there is no one else who deserves it more than you. You mother wanted you to care for Clark, but your life isn't his. It's yours to make; to have that job and that boyfriend. To not just be Supergirl but Kara as well."

Kara smiled, wanting to believe everything her sister was telling her. "I hate to admit it, but we needed this, didn't we?"

Alex nodded, biting her lip. "From Astra, to the Black Mercy, Red K, your venture into space, Mon-El, your near death, and being thrown to Earth-1, I'd say it was long overdue."

Kara groaned. "Please, let's never speak of the Red K incident ever again."

"I agree. Hands down, the worst one of them all. Well, your death was pretty terrible, but the Red K is totally up there."

Kara laughed and pulled Alex in for another hug. "Barry or no Barry, or anyone else for that matter, you're the one I will always need in my life."

Alex scoffed. "Sure. For now."

Kara shoved her to the side, glaring at her, making Alex laugh. "What? It's true!"

"Let's move on. Danvers sister nights like usual from now on. We don't miss one!"

"Yep. Until you and Barry start getting closer," Alex muttered. "Then I'm sure I'll just be relegated to supportive sister in the background."

Kara shot another glare her way, and shook her head. "Give me the pot stickers!"

Grinning, Alex handed the food over and grabbed the bottle, cracking it open and taking a deep sip. Staring at her sister devouring the bag of pot stickers, she smiled knowing that they were okay. The trials and things they were forced to endure the past few years only served to strengthen their relationship as sisters. There was nothing that could break them apart, and for the first time in months, Alex truly believed that.

* * *

Barry looked over Winn's shoulder desperately trying to see the progress he was making. Winn sat back suddenly, his head connecting with the man's jaw.

"Ow! Back up, man! Give me some space!" he yelled, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, man. Are you finished yet?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah. Totally. I finished making a social security card, driver's license, credit card account, fake diploma, resume, plus more in less than five seconds from when you asked me before."

Barry raised his hands. "I'm sorry, Winn. I'm just kind of eager."

"Yeah I get it, but you technically died. Well, a version of yourself. The version of yourself on this earth died when he was 13 years old in a really terrible murder. Strangely enough, your name was Bartholomew Henry West, so that allows you to keep your last name on this earth without raising any suspicion. For a job, I heard you're a forensic scientist, so you could get a job at NCPD or work here at the DEO. I faked a college degree that should lead back here if anyone suspects anything."

Barry sighed in relief. "Thanks, Winn."

"Hey, no problem, dude. Nothing the dynamic duo can't do, right?" Winn said smiling.

Barry laughed. "Right, man."

He turned around, feeling someone tap on his shoulder, and looked, staring at Cisco. He grinned, the smile slowly fading as he saw the expression on his friend's face.

"You okay, Cisco?"

He shrugged his shoulders and pulled him to the side. "I have something to tell you."

"Okay, go ahead," Barry replied, his head running through every possibility that would make Cisco this stressed.

He took in a shaking breath, breathing out slowly. He clasped his hands together and turned his head to look at Barry in the eye. "I want to stay here."

Barry raised his eyes, shocked. "W-what? I-I mean, what?"

"What am I doing on Earth-1? That place is just full of bad memories. The particle accelerator explosion, Thawne, Zoom, Savitar, and my brother's death. Here there are aliens and badass vigilantes. This is the opportunity of the lifetime. There's nothing holding me back there."

Barry nodded, trying to absorb everything he was saying. "Cisco, are you sure, I mean, what about Team Flash?"

He laughed. "Didn't you hear? Jesse kicked Harry off her team, so he's staying in Central City along with Tracy. They have Wally there too. It was bound to happen eventually, Barry. There can't be two Flash's in Central City. But I'd still say you need to visit there soon and teach him everything you can, but then they're on their own. It's a fresh start for all of them."

Barry frowned at him. "What about Caitlin? How is she?"

They heard someone cough behind them, drawing their attention. Both men smiled, seeing Caitlin behind them, her white hair slowly turning back to its natural color. The seemingly effortless transformation between two people still unnerved them, but they were both glad to see her have such good control over the powers that had frightened them all last year.

"I'm great, Barry. Cisco and I have discussed it. We both want to stay here. Earth-1 has a whole team there for them. They each need to grow just like we did, especially since we have such an amazing opportunity here. One with a fresh start for each of us."

Barry shrugged and turned to Winn who nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah! I got it! A bunch more legal documents coming up."

Barry leaned in grabbing both of them in a hug. "I'm glad you guys are staying. It's going to be a lot better knowing you're here and have my back."

Cisco grinned. "Yeah, man. I mean, this world has aliens! Like, actual aliens!"

"You haven't even seen Kara's spaceship yet."

His eyes widened. "For real?"

Cisco grabbed Caitlin's arm dragging her from Barry and towards the pod that had rocketed Kara from Krypton.

Smiling, he sped to the room where Kara was staying, walking in just as Alex was leaving. Stopping quickly, he laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, we're good. I'm just leaving to get some more pot stickers. You'd think that after living with her for so many years, I'd know to buy like a hundred bags just to be able to get some myself. She just goes and inhales all of them. Does Alex get some? Nope. She doesn't." She shook her head at the man. "She's lucky she's injured or else I would throw the box at her head. See you later, Barry."

"Later, Alex."

Pushing the door open, he stepped through, glancing at the hurt look on Kara's face. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"She does know I have super hearing right?"

Barry grinned and gestured to the bed, prompting Kara to scoot over. He climbed in beside her, pulling the sheets over them both. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"You can't deny that you do tend to eat all of the pot stickers."

"Says the guy who eats just as much as I do."

"Hey! When did this become about me? I do have a big appetite, but at least I know when to share."

Kara smiled, unable to remain angry at him. "Fine! I do tend to eat everything and not leave much for anyone else, but can you blame me? Pot stickers are the best.."

"I'm glad you can admit it. First step, right?" he said, leaning in for a kiss.

She frowned, pressing her hand to his lips. "Bold move, Allen. Especially just after insulting me."

"Had to try."

A knock at them turned their attention to Oliver Queen walking in, his arm in a sling.

"Wow, Oliver! I don't think I have ever seen you in a sling before," Barry commented.

"Turns out Kara's mother is a doctor who doesn't take no for an answer."

Kara laughed, her hand covering her mouth. "So the great Green Arrow is defeated by a stubborn mother with a PhD. Wow if only Deathstroke knew that. He could have had you benched just by talking with her."

"I'm glad you find it humorous, Kara. I need you both, if you're up to it."

"Whatever you need, Oliver. What's up?"

"We haven't really gotten to regroup since the attack on the facility. There were some discoveries that require some talking. Bruce, J'onn, Clark, Alex, Jeremiah, Cisco, and Winn are already there."

"We'll be there in a minute," Kara responded, slowly swinging her legs off the side of the bed. "I just need to change."

"Kara, did you need some help?" Oliver asked, him and Barry already moving to make sure she didn't fall.

"It's fine. I'll be there in a minute. You guys go."

"Kara…" Barry started, his hands hovering beside her.

"Just go! I got this! I'll be there in a second."

Both men nodded and exited the room, leaving Kara by herself. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, she clutched the side of the bed for support and pushed up. The Kryptonite from the blast had been flushed from her system, but the pain in her body from her near death experience still shot through her as if reminding her she couldn't rid herself of Cadmus quite yet. Ignoring the pain, she pulled her hospital gown from over her and grabbed pants and a black DEO shirt from the side. Groaning, she pulled the shirt over her head.

"I look like Alex in this outfit," she commented, pulling at it and vowing to grab some better clothes once this meeting was over.

She shook her head and stepped out of the stuffy room that had begun to feel like a second home to her, and made her way to the DEO conference room. Winking at Barry, she grabbed a seat in between him and Oliver.

"Now that everyone's here, let's get to business. Both missions where successful, but we had some unplanned things happen. Firestorm, Clark, and I were fighting while Firestorm encountered a clone of someone most of you know," Bruce started, gesturing to the short, clean cut man who entered.

"Roy?" Oliver asked, hovering above his chair.

"Not really. Roy, care to explain?" Bruce asked.

He cleared his throat and stepped up to the group of individuals in front of him. "Cadmus had cloned someone you all know as Roy Harper and created me. Their goal was to substitute me for him in an attempt to gain access to some of your intel. Luckily, you guys freed me before they could complete their task."

"Do you know anything else that could let us get a leg up on Cadmus's other plans?" Barry asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I wasn't conscious for most of their debriefing. J'onn had entered my mind to get most of what I just told you. However, I do remember an Experiment 13 they were working on."

"Experiment 13? Is it something like you? A clone?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. I don't really know."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Thank you, Mr. Harper. Speaking of Experiment 13, Jeremiah and I had grabbed some papers that might be what he is talking about. They took two DNA samples and spliced them together to create a Kryptonian-human hybrid."

Kara gulped and locked eyes with Jeremiah who bit his lip and turned away.

"Kryptonian hybrid? Please, no."

"I'm sorry, Kara. We believe they used some of your DNA from when you were tortured and spliced it with a male."

"Who's?"

Bruce looked down, unable to look her in the eye.

"Bruce! Whose?"

He looked up. "I'm sorry, Kara. Winn ran the sample against the database and got a hit off a prison in Metropolis."

Alex and Clark paled, both seeing where this was going.

"They spliced your DNA with Lex Luthor."

The blood drained from her face as she gripped the sides of the table, the wood tearing in her hand. She let go, the broken pieces falling to the ground in a heap.

"You mean to tell me that Cadmus made a kid out of me and Lex Luthor?"

He nodded, his eyes narrowed in sympathy. "I'm sorry, Kara. This has given us a lot of information that we needed though. We now know Lex Luthor is involved. We know he's probably the one giving orders, and Winn found out that he was recently released from prison, president's orders."

Kara frowned. "President Marsdin? She would never release Lex Luthor!"

"But she did and we need to know why."

Alex looked at J'onn and Kara, considering a different possibility. "What if…what if someone knew she was an alien? They could be holding it against her. She would have to release him."

"How would they even know?"

"I don't know Kara, but we need to talk to her."

"How are we supposed to do that? She's the president. She can't exactly answer everyone's calls."

Bruce smiled and gestured to the screen. "I've been keeping up with our President and it seems she has hired a new press secretary. Our very own Cat Grant."

Kara's eyes widened as everything suddenly came into focus. Her job. Cat. Snapper. Lena. She hadn't been to work in months. "Oh my gosh! Work! I am so fired! I had an assignment and everything! What am I supposed to do?"

Alex smiled and raised her hand, stopping the flow of questions. "Calm down, Kara. James pulled rank and pushed the assignment on Lena to a different reporter. He then sent 'you' to a different country to complete a series of articles on a few cities that had faced some serious flooding. We had a DEO agent copy your style and complete all the articles you were supposedly doing. Your job is fine."

Bruce nodded. "Exactly. However, it might be time to return as Kara Danvers and take a trip to Washington to see Cat Grant. She might be able to give you an in to see the president and get some answers."

"I don't know if that'll work as Kara Danvers. If the president thinks I'm a reporter, she won't openly tell me she's being blackmailed by Lex Luthor."

"Then go as Supergirl, talk to Cat, do something. Either way, we need to find out. Afterwards it might be beneficial to meet with Lena and see if she has any information on where her mother or her brother is."

"Got it."

"Oliver?" Bruce asked.

"I'm working with my earth to come up with a League of Justice as Felicity and Thea keep calling it. We have a facility, and we can have it done as soon as possible."

Cisco scoffed. "This is why I come up with the names. It should just be the Justice League."

Bruce coughed, trying to bring the conversation back. "Justice League it is then. Cisco we will need you to breach people to our earth. I've been told you and Caitlin are staying?"

"Yeah, we are."

"Good. You can make sure to coordinate those efforts. Winn?"

"I know, I know. I'm making all the legal documents for them both along with another Roy Harper who will be staying on this earth. Got it. Lots of work for me," Winn grumbled.

"Thank you, Winn," Bruce responded turning back to Kara. "I can have a Wayne Enterprises jet take you to Washington."

"Hey," Alex called, halting them before they got too carried away. "I'm going with her. The president trusts me."

"Yeah and so am I," Barry added.

"Alright fine. The jet leaves in an hour."

The table dispersed, Alex, Barry, and Kara leaving to go back to her apartment. The door closed and the trio dropped on to the couch, rubbing their faces. Kara turned to Barry, grabbing his hand.

"I guess you're going to need your own place." She paused. "And a job."

He smiled at her. "I already have a job. I talked to J'onn and he gave me a job there."

Alex nodded. "Ah yes! About that." She pulled a badge from her pocket and gave it to him, along with three cards. "Winn finished all of your documents. A DEO badge that will turn into an FBI one, driver's license, credit card and social. J'onn gave you some money to start you off on the card. As for living space, you can live at the DEO until you are able to get your own place."

"Wow, that's so cool, Alex, thank you! This has been easier than I thought."

Kara touched his shoulder. "What about Joe and Iris? Will you miss them?"

Barry smiled. "Of course, but I can visit them whenever I want. Cisco is already working on a bigger Interdimensional extrapolator. Then we should be able to travel between earths without Cisco's help."

"That's great!"

Alex nodded. "Yeah." She glanced at her watch and groaned. "The plane leaves in five minutes!"

A blur wrapped around Kara as she sped through the room and dressed, pushing her glasses further up on her nose. She straightened her shirt as she looked in the mirror and smiled at Alex.

"Well, you get to choose, Alex. With Barry or with me?"

Alex shook her head, standing up and backing away. "Hell no. I'd rather take the next flight there. Please, of course if I had to choose I'd go with Kara—"

"That's offensive!" Barry called out.

"—but I'd rather not be flown or ran there anyways. Alright? Right, Kara? You won't really—"

She felt herself being picked up and wind rushed by them, her face being pushed backwards. Her feet hit the ground two seconds later, and she sped to the nearest trashcan, depositing all the pot stickers she had eaten just an hour and a half ago. Finishing, and wiping her face, she stalked over to Barry and smacked him on the back of the head. She cursed and walked onto the plane, muttering to herself. Kara landed beside him a second later and fist bumped with him, the two of them entering on the plane after Alex.

* * *

Lena stood in front of her mother, glaring at her. Her mother wouldn't look her in the eye, and despite everything that had happened between them, she felt like something was wrong. Her mother should be glowing, gloating. She should be trying to recruit her to her crazy cause or at least…something. Something other than the seemingly guilty countenance that she was sporting right now. Lena shook the thought out of her head. No matter what was happening, she had to play it off as if she was helping them. No matter what she had to make sure Supergirl wasn't harmed. Project Superboy wasn't going to make it through the procedure. They had failed twelves times so far. How unbelievable would it be that they had failed just once more? Just once more until Supergirl could find her and rescue her.

She cursed her stupidity. The only reason Supergirl would come looking for her was if Kara told her to, and Kara was currently M.I.A., despite what James Olsen told her. She was on her own, but she promised to herself that as soon as she got herself out of this mess, she would find Kara and apologize. She was her best friend, and Lena knew that she needed Kara in her life. Kara was the only one who trusted her, who believed in her. A friend like her was rare, and as a businesswoman, Lena understood the value in having good friends.

She nodded to her mother. "The key is in the pituitary gland. It controls the growth hormones, and so far you have only been concerned about inserting the correct amount of growth hormones and failed miserably. You have an infant that you are overloading with growth hormones without the use of a pituitary gland. The fetus grows too quickly for the rest of its organs and functions to keep up."

"What are saying, Lena?"

"We create a pituitary gland that can regulate the perfect amount of growth hormones for Experiment 13. You're creating an artificial being, you need to be creating a real human. You even have the DNA available to grow a real person."

"And how exactly would you speed up the growing? Or should we just wait 18 years?" she asked.

"We do what you had previously done. We insert a controlled amount of growth hormones to kick start the growth. The pituitary gland should be able to handle it in small doses."

An undefinable emotion flickered across Lillian's face, and Lena couldn't help but think it was disappointment? No, it almost looked like sorrow. She laughed. Her mother could never feel sorrow. She was only full of anger and manipulation.

Just like Lena.

She was going to lie and smile. She was going to say yes and no and do whatever Lillian asked her to, but she would never let this scientific atrocity harm National City's hero. She wouldn't let it get to Kara. Lena couldn't. Millions of people expected a Luthor in her. They expected the monster that both her mother and brother were, but she would prove them all wrong. She was going to be the person Kara knew she was. Her mother was smart. Smarter than she cared to admit and sabotaging the experiment would be too obvious. She would have to be subtle.

Experiment 13 was a man, a boy really. His looks were almost identical to that of Supergirl with short, light blonde hair that was wet with sweat. His eyes were empty, lacking any emotion. It looked…dead. They had instructed her to make it almost like a robot, no feelings or ability to rebel. They wanted a weapon, not a boy who could think. His brain activity was almost non-existent, but that was the key. If Lena could somehow turn this clone into a real, intelligent being that could be reasoned with, she could somehow install a failsafe. A series of words that make 'wake' this clone from its lifeless state. Words that could save Supergirl and make sure she didn't get herself killed.

"Good job, Lena. I knew I could count on you," Lillian praised, smiling at her daughter. She turned to the experiment. "Finish constructing the clone's body. I want a direct computer port to his brain that can only be controlled by us. No artificial intelligence. Complete the project and you will be free to go, Lena."

Lena's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? You're just going to let me go?"

"Of course. You have completed your task. While of course I wish you would join the cause, I am not naïve enough to believe you actually would. You've already been corrupted by the Kryptonian."

Lena raised an eyebrow, doubting every word that was coming out of her mouth. There was no way in hell Lillian would let her just leave. She already knew too much. She could go to Supergirl and tell her their plans. She could ruin their experiments. No. There was no way she was going to make it out alive whether it was her mother who killed her or the person in charge.

"Hurry up, Supergirl. Please," Lena muttered, returning to the project meant to kill one of the only two people who believed in her.

* * *

The plane landed, easing Alex's already fragile stomach. Between super speeding to the plane and then taking off in a vehicle that felt like it was going to drop out of the sky at any minute, Alex couldn't wait to get both feet back on the ground where they belonged. She glared at Kara who shrugged at her.

"You love flying with me," Kara accused, recognizing the sick, hazy look on her sister's face.

"Yeah. With you because I trust you. I'd like to see our pilot's license to fly because I felt like I was in that damn pod when I saved you from space. Trapped and being thrown around all over the place…not fun."

Kara nodded, conceding the point. "Yeah, you're right. I was feeling a little sick myself."

Barry smiled at the two of them. "That's alright, Alex. You can just run with me when we come back."

Alex laughed, walking towards the car that was waiting for them. "Like hell I am, Allen. I'd rather get back on that death trap than be carried at Mach 5 across the U.S."

The three stepped into the car, Kara peering around the area to make sure no one was going to jump out and attack them.

"All clear, guys. How long is it going to take to get there?"

"Not long," Alex replied, looking down at her phone. "We should be there relatively soon. Did you call Cat?"

Kara nodded. "Yeah. Ms. Grant said I should be ushered in immediately. Unfortunately, the president isn't there, but hopefully Ms. Grant will have some information."

"Good." She turned to Barry. "Are you sure you should be coming?"

"Me? Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Alex sighed. "Because you're new. Does Cat know who you are?"

Kara sucked in a breath. "Actually…when you and J'onn where on the run, Barry came to the office and met her. She even knows he's the Flash."

"What?" Barry exclaimed, turning to stare at her. "Did you tell her?"

"No!" Kara responded, lifting her hands. "Of course not! She just…I don't know. She just knew somehow."

Alex shook her head, wondering how these two managed to keep a secret identity and highly believing that pretty much everyone already knew who they were.

"Well, I guess that clears that up." The car pulled up to the White House, Barry and Kara staring at the building in awe.

The driver opened the doors for them and the trio stepped out, admiring the whole place. A guard near the front of the building approached them, gesturing them to follow him inside.

"Are you Kara Danvers?" he asked pointing to Kara.

"Yeah," she responded, slightly unnerved.

"Do you have identification? And who are these two people?"

"Yeah," she said, showing him her driver's license. "This is Alex Danvers and Barry Allen. They are both FBI agents."

He raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't told to allow FBI agents in to see the secretary as well."

Kara bit her lip, trying to stay calm and figure out a solution to this bump in the road. They were standing in the middle of the lobby of the west wing and people were beginning to stare. Opening her mouth to try to come up with some ridiculous lie, they heard a commanding voice behind them, immediately allowing Kara to let out a breath.

"Why aren't they in my office yet?" Cat Grant boomed, staring down the man beside them.

"Uh, I'm sorry Madam Secretary, but I'm wasn't told to let an FBI ag—" he started.

"Anyone with Kara Danvers is allowed. Thank you, that's all."

"Ma'am—"

"Thank you," she called, grabbing Kara's arm and nearly dragging her to her new office.

Shutting the door behind them, Cat walked behind her desk and sat, nodding for the others to sit as well. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"Ms. Grant?" Kara asked.

"The security around here is so incompetent that I want to claw my eyes out. I have to deal with idiots who question the president's ability to do her job as well as every decision she makes. No matter, I am glad for the distraction, Kira, now what it is you need?'

"Uh, well, um…"

"Uh, um, well? I'm sure you did not call me to just stumble along in your sentences. What is it?" Cat prodded.

"I'm doing an article for CatCo, and we were recently told that the president is—"

"—is being blackmailed," Alex finished.

Cat whipped around to Alex, her eyebrows narrowing at the new face. "And you are?"

"Alex Danvers. I'm Kara's sister as well as an FBI agent."

"Oh yes, I remember now. You were the agent that helped get rid of the Daxamites, and if I recall correctly you were part of an organization called the DEA or DEO or something, so why don't we all be honest with each other. It was your agency that uncovered this information about a blackmailing?"

"Yes. It was. Is it true?"

Cat Grant sighed and rubbed the sides of her head. "Yes. It is true. After the shocking revelation that the leader of our nation was in fact E.T., somehow the information was leaked despite our best efforts to contain it."

"Leaked? Leaked how?" Barry asked.

She narrowed her eyes at the young man and turned to look at Kara. "The Blur. Bart Allen, was it?"

"Uh, no, it's Barry."

"Oh, well. Yes, it was leaked. They held the information over Olivia's head and said they wouldn't release it to the public if Lex Luthor was released from prison."

"And you have no idea who it was," Alex asked.

"Well, dear, if we did, I highly doubt we would be having this conversation right now. No, we don't have any idea who sent it." She sighed. "Now, I am not fond of being blackmailed, so I suggest you and your clandestine government agency get in touch with Supergirl and return Lex Luthor to prison as well as anyone behind this."

Kara nodded. "Of course, Ms. Grant. Did President Marsdin consult with you before releasing him?"

Cat shook her head. "No, of course she didn't. She would have known that I would have to come clean with the whole ordeal."

"Why haven't you?" Barry questioned.

"Because when I found out, she begged me to at least allow her to figure out who was behind it before holding a press conference to tell the world she was an alien."

"Ms. Gant, I will try and get in contact with Supergirl and convince her to try and help. We will find out who is behind this, I promise."

Cat nodded at the determined reporter in front of her, reminded of why she had wagered so much on the awkward blonde. She had a good heart and a loyal character that Cat couldn't help but admire.

"Good. Now chop chop, I have other things I have to attend to," she said motioning with her hand for them to leave. "Dealing with incompetent idiots," she muttered.

They nodded and Kara and Barry left the room, leaving Alex. Cat looked up confused on why the brunette was still in her office.

"You know, don't you?" Alex accused.

Cat raised her eyebrows at her. "Know what exactly?"

"You know about Kara," Alex repeated.

Cat sucked in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Of course I do. If she thought that I was going to be appeased by seeing them both in the same room, she was wrong. Especially when a couple weeks later we saw a little green alien that could shapeshift into any form fighting Supergirl amidst the better part of National City. That coupled with the double shift in personality in both Kira and Supergirl was bound to tip me off." She clicked her teeth together. "Kira is many things but subtle is not one of them."

Alex couldn't help but smile. Cat was smart, she'd give her that. She wasn't ignorant, not by any means, and with Kara's laughable attempts at lying, she was surprised she hadn't found out earlier.

"Why don't you tell Kara?"

Cat rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Agent Danvers. As if our confrontation went so well the first time. No, I would have had better luck convincing my mother that she really is the devil incarnate. What Kira needs is someone who doesn't know she is Supergirl. She needs to remember to be Kira Danvers, not just National City's bustling hero that saves the world from psycho fascists and delusional, mind controlling tyrants."

"Ms. Grant, I have never really understood Kara's…loyalty to someone who doesn't even care enough to call her by her own name but…thank you. For being there for Kara."

Cat's face turned into a small smile, abandoning the fake indifferent pretense she had always worn on her face. She held out her hand to the woman in front of her, Alex leaning in and shaking it.

Alex exited the room giving one last nod to the woman in front of her and left to join Kara and Barry.

"What were you guys talking about?" Kara asked.

"You weren't listening?"

"Of course not. I don't listen in all the time," Kara told her.

"Oh yes you do! Don't lie to yourself!" Alex accused.

"Fine! I listen sometimes, but I made sure not to listen now, so you're welcome," Kara laughed, slinging her arm around both her sister and Barry. "At least we know our theory was correct. Madam President is being blackmailed into releasing Lex. Everything that has happened so far has been because of him."

"I think you need to pay a visit to Lena then, just as Bruce suggested," Alex added, observing the pained look that crossed her face.

"I know. Lex and Lillian are all in on this, but Lena never would. She would never sanction someone torturing me, let alone agree to clone…well…me," Kara argued.

"I know, Kara. I know. But we still need to talk to her."

Kara nodded, as they walked out of the White House and into the car waiting for them. The doors clicked and locked, immediately alerting the three passengers. Alex nodded to Barry who attempted to vibrate his hand. Barry shook his head, his hand remaining still. Taking the cue, Kara flexed her muscles and punched the door, her face scrunching in pain as she cradled her already bruising hand.

"Ah that was a bad idea," she squeaked, her hand turning various shades of black, blue, and purple.

Despite the situation, Alex held in a laugh, staring at her sister shaking out her hand while Barry grabbed it to inspect. "Kara, you dork. Couldn't you have just pushed on it?"

Kara glared at her. "Thanks for telling me, Alex. I'm sure that was a better idea." She sighed. "Well they must have some form of metahuman dampener and red sunlight. It doesn't feel like there's any Kryptonite around."

"That's just great. I swear we can never catch a break. Alex, don't you have a gun or something?" Barry asked.

"Yes, Barry, I do. But I don't really want to gamble that this car is fully bulletproof and have it ricochet into one of us. Especially since Kara is no longer bullet proof and manages to punch solid doors."

"Awesome. Why can't we just have a day of peace?"

"Suck it up, Allen, and let's find a way out of this damn car."

Their voices fizzled out as an intercom clicked and buzzed, gaining their attention. "Please remain seated. We will arrive shortly."

Alex scoffed. "Like hell I'm remaining seated. I changed my mind. We're going to gamble," she said, pulling the gun out of its holster. Aiming at the door, she almost squeezed the trigger, but the car lurched to the side, her head smacking hard against the door.

"Please remain still. We will arrive shortly."

Alex rubbed the side of her head, a headache quickly forming. "Damn it," she said grabbing her gun from the floor of the car.

The vehicle stopped and the three of them tensed, waiting for the door to open. They sat for a minute the silence nearly driving them insane. Alex held the gun in front of her, pointed directly at the door to her side. A loud bang and a bright light seemed to rise from the ground, and the group clutched their ears in pain. The doors opened, and, ignoring the pain, Alex's hands dropped from her ears and she fired. The shots connected with someone, a grunt of pain slipping from the mouth of their attackers. Two shots whistled through the air and struck Barry and Alex, their bodies immediately going limp.

* * *

Kara struggled against the hands that pulled her from the inside of the car. Her fist smacked against the man's face, but more hands grabbed at her to restrain the furious alien. Someone gripped her wrists and tied them with a metal cuff, the iron rubbing against her skin. Her legs were kicked, and she crumpled to her knees.

Staring up, she gasped at the person in front of her. The man held up his hands in surrender and smiled.

"I am sorry for the intrusive way I had to bring you in, but it was the only way to get you moderately alone."

"Where are they? I swear if you hurt them," she growled at him, stumbling to her feet.

"Relax. There are not harmed. In fact, I have my driver taking them back to National City. The tranquilizer dart they were shot with should wear off as soon as they get there. You should be thankful. That pilot was flying very dangerously. I might have just saved their lives."

Relief flooded through her body as she struggled against the bonds.

"The cuffs emit low red solar radiation to negate your powers," he responded, gesturing to the cuffs around her raw skin. "Do not try to escape them. You will end up ripping your wrists off. I apologize again, but please hear me out."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Really? I imagined you would want to talk about your torture or how we managed to separate your teams."

"You're a sick psycho who wanted to hurt someone. There's nothing to say."

"Well, perhaps. I can see your point, but you just aren't getting it yet. I thought you at least might want to discuss our child."

Kara nearly convulsed at the thought. "Tell me where he is, Lex."

"All in due time. The real reason I wanted to meet was to offer a truce."

Kara nearly laughed at the prospect. "Sure, a truce with the man who tortured me, attacked my cousin, and has killed countless other civilians."

"All true, but there is more to this game than you realize. The key to winning is recognizing when you have lost, and you, my dear, have lost. You've fought a species similar to my employer before and won. Very impressive. However, despite your previous experience, you will not be able to beat what is coming for you. Switch sides."

"Never. Your little advice is just telling me that you're scared. You know we are going to beat you, so you're just trying to get me out of the way."

"Perhaps, but you did not let me finish. I would be a fool to think you would just flip on your friends and your family, and if anything is clear, it is the fact that I am hardly a fool."

"What are you saying, Lex?" Kara asked, her brain racing through ways to escape.

"Go home."

"Home? Your offer is National City?"

"No, Kara. My offer is Krypton."

* * *

Lena looked towards her mother and the scientists around her. Occupied. Not looking. Now was her chance. She slid behind the computer regulating the clone's neural activity and began to type. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she wrote hidden algorithms to activate his mind. The project was almost done. A few hours at most, and the weapon of a boy would be active to attack Supergirl. It was her fault. Their lagging science team of supposed geniuses would be at least a month behind if it wasn't for her. She catapulted their research ahead by weeks, and she was paying for it right now. Looking over her shoulder, she breathed out a breath of relief that no one had seen her. Clicking the last button, she slid to the side and turned just as Lillian approached her.

"Thank you, Lena for your contributions to our project. Those fools finally managed to do something useful and follow your notes. They constructed a healthy pituitary gland to regulate the growth hormones for a Kryptonian."

"How? I only had notes for a regular human?"

"Yes. You did. We had a team covertly slip a device onto Supergirl's neck that essentially analyses the whole molecular makeup of her body down to the smallest cell. From there we were able to hook the device up to a replicator that is working as we speak."

"That's impossible! The technology to do that doesn't even exist! It's beyond anything on this—"

"—world? Precisely. Thank you, Lena, you are free to go."

"I'm free to go?"

"Yes, Lena. You did your job."

"No, you wouldn't. There's no way."

"Yes, Lena, you can leave," Lillian told her.

A man stepped from behind her mother, pointing a gun at Lena's head. She tensed, waiting for the gunshot that was sure to end her life. It was a pity she had spent so much time installing a failsafe when the secret was about to die with her.

"What are you doing, Lord?" Lillian asked, whipping around to face the smirking man.

"Just following orders."

Lillian covered her surprise, but her eyes showed the fear. Fear that their planet jumping boss had ordered Lord to kill her daughter, or worse yet, her power driven son.

"How strange. I never took you for someone's lackey. Running around. Doing other people's dirty work."

Max shrugged. "I had a change of heart." He smiled. "Or a change of mind."

He lowered the gun and offered it to Lillian. The woman shook her head, beads of sweat running down her face. Her hand slowly inched its way to the handle despite her attempts to make it stop. She could feel the pressure in her mind as she fought against whatever was making her take the gun. Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the cold metal and swung it towards her daughter.

"Lord, stop it! Now!" she demanded through clenched teeth.

He laughed, and the pressure inside Lillian's head released as she squeezed the trigger. The bullet seemed to travel in slow motion as it struck. Lillian yelled, immediately dropping the gun.

Lena closed her eyes, anticipating the searing pain that would soon flood her body. Her hands reached for the spot where the bullet entered.

Where it would have entered.

The bullet lodged itself an inch from her head in the wall beside her. Lillian rushed over to her side and pushed her behind her.

"Damn you, Max! You bastard!"

He raised his hands at her. "She's not going to be killed. She's going to be our bait. I just thought I should show you who's really in charge around here."

He stumbled to the side, blood rushing from his nose. His hand wiped away the thick, crimson liquid with the top of his hand, surprised. Grabbing the handkerchief from his coat, his wiped the rest off and continued to stare at the two Luthor women.

"That was…unexpected." He smiled at them. "Don't worry, Lena. You aren't going to die…yet."

Lillian glared at him. "How the hell did you make me grab the gun?"

"A little gift from Lex weeks ago. He thought it would help me complete my tasks." He clasped his hands together, slowly walking towards the two women. "Now that Project Superboy is finished, and I am quite insulted that you didn't think to consult me first, we are ready to proceed right now. Supergirl and their merry band of heroes don't stand a chance."


	15. Chapter 15- Aphasia

**A/N:** Hey, y'all! I hope you guys enjoyed last chapter! There's a lot of hidden things in this story that I have purposely put in to foreshadow the big bad and problem. I hope y'all are catching them! Well, here we go!

 **Chapter 15**

Kara's mouth fell open as she stared in front of her. She had no reason to believe a word he was saying. He was a criminal. A genius who was an expert at manipulation. Krypton was dead. He had no right to promise her a world that had killed itself out of selfish desires.

She often longed for her home. The way the red sun felt on her skin. The beautiful architecture. It was a place she often escaped to when things were confusing in her life. It was her crucible and just as Oliver Queen had Lian Yu, she had Krypton. It was her reminder of a world she could have lived in. A lifestyle that she should have lived in, but fate had not intended that for her. She had a different purpose in life and as much as she wanted to return to her world, she had so much here that she couldn't give up.

She scowled at the man in front of her, surprised at how easily he had gotten under her skin.

"Krypton is dead, and how do you know my name?"

He smiled at her, stepping closer. "I was told your name, and no, Kara. Krypton is still alive, and I can take you there. To live out the rest of your childhood. To be Kara Zor-El instead of having to live out a lie. You were never meant to be a human. You adopted the mission to save the world, but you cannot even seem to do that. You let Mon-El be sacrificed, Astra be killed, and you killed Non. How can you be a hero if those closest to you suffer? Run away. Go to Krypton."

Kara turned and rammed her shoulder into the person behind her. The man stumbled back and she rushed towards Lex, inches from reaching him, until strong hands pulled her back to her spot. Her hands scratched against the hard metal, and she could feel her skin tearing from the abrasion. She shook her head at him, disgusted.

"Krypton is dead," she repeated. "Krypton is dead, but Earth is still here, and I refuse to let you wreak havoc against it. This is my planet and no matter what you offer me, I will not return to a planet that was so ignorant of their destruction, but I will do everything I can to make sure that you are put behind bars."

"I expected no less from you. I had hope, but it was clear whose side you are on," Lex replied, motioning for the guards to leave them.

Kara's stomach churned as she recognized what was happening. This was a distraction. A way to keep her from the team.

"What have you done, Lex?" she asked, her voice filled with panic.

"I told you before. I'm not a fool. You see, I am sure you know about our project, but the problem was getting it to grow like a regular human. We enlisted the help of my dear sister and she fixed the problem for me. However, we needed something from you," he said, stepping forward and grabbing something from her neck.

"What is that? What have you done?" Kara pressed, each second increasing her worry.

"It is a device that analyzes your body structure. I had the guards place it on you when you were taken from the car." He pressed his finger to the metal cuffs, the steel falling to the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"You have choice before Superboy is unleashed. You can either make sure your dear sister and boyfriend are safe, or you can make sure Lena is. Either way, one of them won't survive. I have my driver prepared to ram the car off a cliff, and Max Lord is currently ready to kill Lena. Don't worry. I'll even tell you were she is. I have her in a research facility on the outskirts of Metropolis." He smiled at her. "One final choice before Superboy finishes the job and everyone you love is killed."

"No! Please no! You won't kill your sister!" Kara was panicking. She needed to be in two places at once. She couldn't lose someone else.

"I am sorry, Kara. I gave you a chance to return to Krypton without having to make this choice, but you have refused. You have chosen to face this consequence. Better make a choice fast," he warned.

She stepped towards the man, her eyes quickly changing from its normal bright blue. He stepped back, the heat from her eyes nearly igniting his skin.

"I suggest you let me go and make a choice. Me or your family?"

Kara's eyes pulsed for a second before slowly changing back to their normal color. She shook her head at the man and pressed down with her feet, catapulting herself in the air. The Bluetooth in her ear was turned on, and she prayed that Kal was listening.

"Kal? Kal, are you there? Please be there."

The com crackled before she heard his voice. "Kara, is that you?"

"Kal? Thank, Rao. I need you to find Alex and Barry! They're heading towards National City, but they're in danger! Alert Bruce that the experiment is about to be released!"

"Kara, what are you talking about? Where are you going?"

"Just go, Kal! We don't have time!"

She heard the wind as he sped around the DEO, whipping papers all over the room. She turned off the com, propelling her body faster than ever before. She could feel herself gaining in speed as she concentrated, fear driving her faster and faster. Lena was her best friend. She would not die for her.

Kara tilted her head, her ears working to pick up a sound. Anything to lead her to the research facility where Lena was being held. She heard a scream in the distance and immediately directed herself towards the noise. Her body crashed through the door and into the room, seeing Lillian in front of Lena with Max holding a gun at them. He had dried blood around the front of his suit, and his nose was red.

"I'm sorry, Lena. I got new orders. Turns out you aren't going to be bait for Supergirl. Step out of the way, Lillian."

"Never."

Fear climbed through her body, nearly choking her. Kara rushed in the room, everything moving in slow motion. She was inches from reaching Lena before someone tackled her, throwing her into the wall. She grunted from the force, hands slamming her head into cement. Kara's head smashed into her attacker's nose, driving him backwards. The person flew back, and Kara got a glimpse of the man. Of the boy really. He had blonde hair, like her own….no, he had everything like her own. This boy was…her…but not. She held her hands up as he stared at her, no emotion in his eyes.

"Who are you? You don't have to do this," she pleaded with him.

His eyes showed no recognition that he understood what she was saying, nor did he make any efforts to slow down. His fist clenched, and Kara recognized the squinting look on his face. Quickly, she threw herself out of the way as the beams of light exploded from his eyes. Kara rushed towards him, her arms slipping around his neck. Her hand was laid on the top his head while the other squeezed against his throat. The boy kicked backwards, and her grip lessened, allowing him a second to grab her hands and throw her in front of him.

Lena looked around, seeing the clone fighting Supergirl. Max's attention had shifted, and his finger had paused on the trigger. She had a chance. Before she could take another step, Max's eyes returned to the two women. Lillian pressed her hand against her daughter's upper body, keeping her from moving.

"Lena, I never wanted you involved in this. Despite what we've gone through, daughter, I do love you. These aliens and metahumans are not good for this world, but you were never supposed to join _this_. I am sorry." Lillian smiled at her confused daughter and reached behind her, pulling out a gun.

She was the leader of Cadmus, and she would be damned if she walked into a meeting with Max Lord without a gun. She raised the gun and slowly stepped towards the power-driven man.

"Max, you are never going to leave this building alive."

He smiled at her. "I'm not sure about that," he replied, his eyes narrowing.

Lillian could feel the pressure begin to build and the gun slowly tilt towards her own abdomen. She could hear Lena behind her, trying to negotiate with Max, but she could only focus on how fast it seemed to be moving. Lena grabbed her hands, trying to pry the gun from her. She shook her head. Her daughter was strong, and she should have expected Lena wouldn't stand there and let Max kill them.

"No, Lena. Go!" she screamed as the two of them tried to stop the gun's positioning.

"Mother, shut up! I can help!"

"Lena, for god's sake just go! Leave and escape!" Lillian shouted.

Lena shook her head at her, eying everything around her. Max was currently holding his head, as blood poured from his nose. She didn't know the extent of these powers but suspected he couldn't control multiple people at once without losing a significant amount of blood. She grabbed a microscope from the table beside her and rushed the man, raising it over her head. Her arms came down, the microscope making its slow decent onto his head.

* * *

Barry Allen jerked awake, his feet smacking into a body next to him. His eyes roamed the car as he struggled to remember what had happened. The events from the past hour flooded back, and his eyes widened as he realized what happened. He grunted as he sat up and saw Alex laying down next to him. He kicked her, the woman jumping up and glaring at the man in front of her. She grimaced at the pain of sitting up too quickly and groaned.

"Damn. What happened?"

"Lex is what happened. He took Kara and shoved us in our lovely car," Barry muttered, his ego still burning. The fastest man in the universe, and he was trapped by a genius psychopath…in a car. "Oliver is going to have blast shoving this in my face."

"What?" Alex asked, trying to loosen the rope tying her wrists back.

"I said Oliver is going to be disappointed in me."

"Yeah, he probably is. The two most powerful people on this earth and you just got trapped in a damn car. Pretty disappointing."

Barry rolled his eyes and smiled, seeing the rope fall from Alex's wrists.

"Wow. Whoever tied this clearly didn't know what he was doing."

"That's great. Do you still have your gun?"

She shook her head. "No, they must have taken it before they shoved us in here." She eyed his metahuman cuffs. "I might be able to unlock those and then you can phase us out of here, right?"

He nodded and held out his wrists in front of his body. "Take your best shot, Alex."

She slammed her watch onto the floor of the car, breaking it into smaller pieces. Taking the hands of the clock, she pulled the thin metal from inside it. She pushed the small pin inside the metahuman cuffs, using it to pry open the inner workings. Taking a deep breath, she shrugged and continued.

"This will either work or not and end up killing us both," she muttered to herself.

"Don't worry, Alex. I trust you."

"I sure as hell hope so," she said, pressing the point to the side of the wire and snapping it in half. The bright blue light immediately dimmed, and Barry grinned, his body vibrating. His molecules phased through the metal cuffs, and they fell to the ground. His body slowed, and he high-fived Alex.

"Awesome job, Alex. I knew you could do it. Kara said you're practically a genius."

"Thanks. Let's go get Kara."

He nodded and grabbed her arm. The car swerved and smacked into the edge of the road, the bumper cracking and the momentum completely stopping. The impact threw the side of the car into the railing and it broke, the car swinging off the cliff. Lighting flashed through Barry's eyes as he made a split second decision. Alex's face was terrified as she clutched at the necklace around her neck. She had worn it until she felt she could give it to Kara, and it seemed like it was her lifeline the way she was holding it in her hands. His arms reached for her again, and he began vibrating, the two of them matching patterns and phasing through the car. It smacked into the water, immediately sinking, and Barry frowned, reminded that he couldn't fly. The two of them quickly fell from their position in the air and were suddenly on the side of the road, a streak of blue and red passing through their field of vision.. Alex fell to the ground on her back, her hands rubbing her face as she laughed.

"I'm not even sure what just happened, but thanks, Clark."

Clark smiled, setting Barry down. "I'm glad you just bought you both some time, Barry. I was afraid you would hit the water and the impact would kill you both. Out of curiosity though, what was your plan after you phased through the car?"

"Not sure. My only plan was try not to die. After that point, I was just improvising."

Clark grinned. "Well, good job anyways." His smile was gone as quickly as it had come, and he bit his lip. "Kara called me and said to make sure you both were okay. She sounded like she was in trouble."

Fear immediately grappled at both Alex and Barry as they thought about what might be happening. "We need to find her," they both said.

* * *

Kara was fighting to keep from accidentally killing him. He wasn't holding back and no matter what anyone said, she still considered him a living human. He had a brain and a heart, and she couldn't bring herself to kill him. She blocked another punch and was surprised when a burst of heat vision threw her back. Her body crashed into the pole behind her, and she pulled herself up from the ground.

He jabbed at her head, and she ducked, twisting and slamming her elbow against his cheek. He stumbled backwards, and she leaped up and fell down, her hands connecting in a fist and smashing onto his head. He fell to his knees but pushed off from the ground, his fist smacking into her chin. Her body flew through the air and landed a few feet back. She could taste the coppery blood in her mouth, and she spit, the taste reminding her that this boy was on par with her strength. He stalked towards her, his fist clenched.

Lena saw Supergirl on the ground in her peripheral vision. The situation was almost too cruel to be real. Supergirl was fighting to live, not defeat, her mother was fighting against her own mind, and still Lena hesitated from smashing the microscope on Max's head. He was on his knees below her, the blood splattering from his nose and onto the floor. Closing her eyes, she heard a gunshot, crash, and body fall to the ground.

Barry, Alex, and Clark crashed through the building, Clark's hearing alerting them to where Kara was. The three of them slowed to a stop, watching everything unfold in front of them. They saw Lillian fall as a bullet lodged itself into her stomach. They saw Lena smash the microscope over Max Lord's head and his body fall to the ground. They saw as Kara turned to see them and the momentary distraction allowing for Superboy to channel all of his strength into the hit that threw Kara's entire body into the ceiling above them. They saw as it came crashing back down in front of them, and the blood that poured from a deep gash on her forehead.

Barry's eyes blurred and his body shook from anger. He screamed, and his body shot towards the clone. The shock from the very fast man allowed for Superboy to be tackled to the ground. Alex rushed towards her sister, grabbing her head and setting it in her lap. Clark wasn't far behind, his body catapulting towards the small boy resembling Kara.

Lena turned to see the three new people enter and barely recognized the fact that she had just bashed the billionaire's head in. Her mother had just collapsed along with Supergirl, and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. Ignoring the paralyzing feeling, she rushed towards Project Superboy.

"Red Sun!" she yelled over and over again, hoping to reach him through the frenzy of fighting in front of her. The clone turned to look at her and suddenly stopped everything that he was doing. He body stiffened, and he remained still, throwing both Barry and Clark off.

"Uh, Superman?" Barry asked, his vibrating fist ready to smash into its face.

"I don't know, Flash," he responded, confused.

Lena walked up behind them, her eyes hardened. "I installed some failsafe measures in his programming. What I said was just a code word to essentially freeze him and then wake him up after his brain has had time to reboot."

Barry nodded and ran, not really caring and eager to check up on Kara.

Clark gave the woman a tired smile. "Thank you, Lena. You saved our lives."

"It's the least I could've done. This was my mother's fault. Hers, my brother's, and that son of bitch Max."

"We will make sure to take care of this, Lena. Did you need anything?"

She shook her head. "I just need to leave. I don't even know how to begin to process everything that has happened."

Clark shook her hand. "I need to check up on Supergirl. Thank you, Lena."

The woman had large circles under her eyes, but she still smiled, walking away to her mother's body. She crouched in front of her, her mother's body shaking. Lena grabbed the gun in her hand and pulled it away from her.

"Why did you do that? You knew he could turn it against you."

Lillian smiled. "I needed to buy time. He was already in pain and adding to his struggle bought enough time for you to take care of Max."

Lena could feel the wetness build up behind her eyes. Her mother had been the source for so much pain and so much suffering, yet she had always loved her. She had strived to make her proud, to make her feel like Lena was worthwhile. It was the natural feeling for a child to want their mother to love them, but no matter what Lena did, she always felt inadequate. Now her mother was dying right now, and she could do nothing. She could ask for the Flash or even Superman to try and fly her to a nearby hospital, but it was too late. Her mother would die.

"Lena, I need you to leave. Do not trust the heroes. Do not trust anyone. I do not care if they saved you. No one can be trusted."

Lena shook her head. "You still won't give up. Supergirl saved my life. They all did. She believed in me."

Lillian grimaced, the pain spreading quickly. She shivered, suddenly feeling very very cold. It was the end. She knew that, yet she wasn't ready. Lillian smiled. That's what death was, though. A force of nature that often took you even though you weren't ready. It was her bastard son's fault and the thing he worked for. It was the so called superheroes of the world's fault. Her face hardened. She was going to hit them hard. One last act of defiance.

"Supergirl has lied to you. Your best friend, Kara Danvers, has lied to you," she managed, before her eyes widened and the last breath was pushed from her mouth.

Lena shook her mother, trying to get her wake up. "Mother? What? No! Mother!" A single tear fell down her cheek and onto the floor. She knew that her mother was an awful person. A serial killer, but she couldn't help but feel like a piece of her was ripped out. She had always held out hope for her mother's redemption. Now there was no chance.

Clark approached the three of them, crouching beside his cousin and placing his hand on her cheek. The cuts were already beginning to close and it was only a matter of time before they disappeared forever. It was a relief and all of them were slightly afraid that she wouldn't heal the same after everything the she had been through before.

Her eyes fluttered, and Alex lifted her head. "Kara? Kara? Are you okay?"

She frowned. " _Ouch. That went well. The experiment Cadmus made can really hit."_

Barry bit his lip and stared at her, turning to Alex. "What the hell did she just say?"

Worry creased Alex's forehead. "Kara?"

" _Alex? This isn't good."_

Alex's head dropped, and she gave Barry a tired smile. "Well, good news is I know what she's saying. Bad news is, she's speaking Kryptonese."

"What? Why the hell is she speaking Kryptonese?" Barry asked.

Alex ran her hand over her sister's forehead. "I think when the experiment hit her, he hit her hard enough to give her some alien version of aphasia." She peered into her sister's eyes, trying to make sure no other part of her brain was injured.

Clark shook his head. "As if we haven't been through enough." He narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know you spoke Kryptonese."

"Yeah, well when Kara had landed, she didn't speak English. I had to teach her English and then she taught me Kryptonese."

Kara sat up and groaned, pressing her hand to the back of her head. " _Alex, I can understand you guys, I just can't find the right words to respond. All I can think of are words in Kryptonese."_

Alex smiled, pressing her hand to her back to keep her upright. " _That's usually how it goes when you get aphasia. Can you just stay still sometimes? And, oh, I don't know, don't get hurt!"_

Kara groaned and tentatively stood, all three people trying to help her up. " _I don't need your help! I can stand up!"_

Barry looked to Clark. "Any idea what she's saying?"

Clark shook his head. "I grew up on earth. No one taught me to speak Kryptonese."

Alex rolled her eyes at him. "Don't worry about it. We should probably head back to the DEO and get this situated. I want to make sure she doesn't have any more brain damage."

Kara's eyes widened, and she ran to Lena, the trio following close behind the blue blur.

Lena sat on her knees, her hands lingering on her mother's body. It was obvious the woman had died, and Kara didn't know how to approach her. She still didn't know she was Supergirl, and she still needed to maintain that boundary between them. She laid her hand on her back, and Lena twisted to look at her, her eyes misting, but her jawline set.

"Thank you, Supergirl. You saved my life. Again."

Kara nodded, and Alex stepped towards the woman. "I'm sorry. Is there anything you need at the moment?"

Lena shook her head, and stood up, her posture ridged and tense. "You can take care of the body. I have other things I need to take care of. Where are we?"

"You're on the outskirts of Metropolis. I have agents already proceeding to the scene. They should be here any moment. I will make sure to have a car deliver you back to National City. We have to go back to our facility. Is there anything else you need?" Alex asked, trying to gauge Lena's emotions.

The woman was stoic. Her face showed no emotion, pain, or recognition that her mother had just died. Max's crumpled form was next to them, and he had blood pooling on the floor beside him from his nose and the blow he took to the head.

Clark tilted his head gestured to Alex. "The agents are pulling up. We should head back."

Alex nodded. "Superman, take Supergirl back to the DEO. I'll have the Flash—" she paused, seeing the mischievous grin that spread across his face.

"Yeah, no."

He laughed. "C'mon, Alex. You have to."

Agents entered the building, quickly moving throughout to clear any evidence that they were there. The four exited, at a standstill outside, Alex facing Barry with her arms crossed and Kara shaking her head beside Clark.

"Don't tell me what I have to do, Allen. I will take a car back if I have to, damn it!

" _Alex, just let him carry you back! The sooner we get to the DEO, the sooner we can figure out what's wrong with me!"_

Alex whipped around to face her sister, scowling. "Clark can fly you back, and I will catch up later! Mom and dad can figure something out!"

"Alex, you're being unreasonable! We need to get back and recap."

She glared at the three of them, Clark raising his hands.

"I didn't say anything."

"Dammit, Barry. Just go slow," Alex muttered, her face already turning green at the thought.

"You got it," he responded, the four of them speeding towards National City.

Alex felt her stomach heave as he navigated the terrain. The wind was slapping her face, and it was all she could do to keep from heaving everything in her stomach up before they even got back to the facility.

The fast paced scenery stopped suddenly, and Alex's head nearly burst from the immediate stilling of trees and shrubs whooshing by. Her hands rested on her knees, and she bent over, mumbling obscenities.

"I swear, I never want to do that again," she said, pushing Barry.

Clark landed a second later, his armed wrapped protectively over Kara. Before they had a chance to get a word out, Jeremiah and Eliza rushed them, Caitlin following close behind. The two parents wrapped their arms around their children, pulling them close.

"Alex? What happened? Only Kara was wearing her suit since she always has it under her clothes, but the camera on her chest piece kept cutting in and out. We couldn't get a straight shot of what was happening."

Alex softly pushed her parents away, looking them in the eye. "It's a long story."

Kara rolled her eyes. " _Understatement of the year."_

Both of their mouths fell open. "Is she speaking Kryptonese?" Eliza asked, shocked and stunned.

"Yeah. The project they were working on packed quite the punch. We need to get her back to the room so we can run tests."

Jeremiah eyes closed, angry at Cadmus, at their experiment, but mostly at himself. He was responsible for this. He was the catalyst. He was their smartest asset, and he had no doubt that he might have inadvertently aided their research. It was most definitely has fault that she had been taken and tortured.

Alex saw the look on her father's face. She knew it well. It was a look that both she and Kara had worn many times throughout their life.

"Stop it, dad. It's not your fault."

"It is though. I helped them. I worked for them."

"You didn't have a choice, sweetheart. You did it to protect Kara. To protect our family," Eliza argued.

"We can discuss this later. We really need to get her down to her room," Alex responded, shutting down the conversation.

She grabbed Kara by the arm, practically dragging her down the hallway, Cait and her parents following close behind.

Caitlin opened the door, motioning inside. "You know the drill, Kara."

She plopped down on the bed, both doctors already electrodes onto her forehead to monitor brain activity. Alex pulled up a chair next to her, leaning close.

" _You need to stop."_

Kara stared at her, her eyes narrowed in confusion. " _What do you mean stop?"_

" _I mean you have rushed in twice. We have rushed in twice and nearly gotten ourselves killed! I refuse to let it happen a third."_

" _Thanks, Alex. I wasn't aware that I almost died twice. Thank you for reminding me."_ She leaned her head back on the pillow.

" _Don't be like that. You know I'm right, Kara. We've run in halfcocked and its resulted in you almost dying and getting brain damage!"_

" _What do you expect to do about that, Alex? I wasn't exactly big on letting Lena die in that research facility. I had to do something!"_

" _Yeah and you and Barry are the most powerful people in the universe and yet you were trapped…in a damn car."_

Kara's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. " _I'm aware of that, Alex, and it hurts my pride to say it, but Lex is smart. He had us cornered."_

" _Lex is smart, but we have to be smarter. That means we have to train smarter."_

" _You want me to train? No offense Alex, but you got trapped in the car too."_

" _Not with me. I meant Oliver."_

" _You want me to train with Oliver?"_ Kara questioned, skeptically.

" _Yes. He got you back to our earth, and he's disciplined. He's smart and calculated, and you trust him. I trust him. I'd have you train with Bruce, but that would mean you would be taught how to brood all the time."_

Kara grinned. " _Not sure if it's going to be much better with Oliver. That man and Bruce are practically doppelgangers."_

" _Either way, you trust him, and he's already offered to help."_

" _He's already offered?"_ She exclaimed, incredulous. " _Why?"  
_

" _Because he knows you. He knows that you've been hiding under the fact that you're invulnerable. He knows that we act like you are, and that's probably what's made you so cocky. Kara, you aren't. This past month has proven that. You need to be smarter."_

" _Alright fine! I'll go train with Oliver. Has Cisco stabilized the breaches yet?"_

" _Last I heard, it was going really well. He got some help from a man he kept calling Dick Wells. Not sure who that is, but he said he is really smart."  
_

Kara laughed, remembering her encounter with Harry and the playful banter that went on between the two of them.

The door to the room, opened quickly and Caitlin stepped in, a wide grin on her face.

"Good news. It looks like a mild concussion. If we put you under the yellow sun rays and try and stimulate that side of your brain, you should be good. We can say words and have you repeat them and hopefully that will be enough to trigger your memory. Or you might just be talking and have it come back. You might still slip some words in Kryptonese until you get a grip on your language functions, but it's nothing serious. Your wounds are already beginning to heal, so you should be okay to leave. I think Bruce wanted to see you."

Kara nodded, and the two women exited to find Bruce, Kara giving Caitlin a quick hug on the way out the door. The found the dark clad man in the office area alone, dressed in his suit.

"I'm glad to see you're doing good, Kara."

"I'm glad she's doing good as well, Bruce," Alex answered. "I assume you know about her issue with language at the moment."

"Yes I am well aware. I wanted to talk to you about something else. Wayne Enterprises is currently funding a think tank of the greatest minds on earth. I have a few candidates in mind that I was hoping you might help me with recruiting."

"Yeah, of course we will. Who?"

"There's a woman I met a while ago. She lives on an island full of women, completely isolated from the outside world. She's a warrior who has lived for a very long time, a formidable opponent and a valuable ally. There are others as well. I will give you a list, and once Kara has healed, I think it might be beneficial to go there and make an offer."

A woman burst through the doors, gesturing quickly to Alex and Kara.

"The experiment Cadmus was working on has awoken. He's yelling in a language I've never heard before, and he's becoming increasingly violent."

"Thank you. We're on our way," Alex breathed, the two women rushing out of the room and down the hallway, following the doctor to the cell dosed heavily in Kryptonite.

Kara felt the effect immediately and nearly fell to the ground before Alex caught her.

"Turn the levels down!"

"I'm sorry, Agent Danvers, but we can't or else he will escape," she explained pointing to the blonde boy currently slamming his palms onto the glass, attempting to escape.

" _He looks different, Alex. Like he can understand what I'm saying, what's happening."_

" _After he hit you, Lena said a few words. They might have triggered some kind of failsafe that activated dormant neural activity."_

Kara stepped forward carefully, placing her hands on the glass. " _Leave us alone."_

" _But, Kara_ _—_ _"_

" _Please, Alex. Just a moment alone with him, okay?"_

Alex nodded, and she and the doctor left the room, leaving her sister in the Kryptonite doused cell with a crazed Cadmus experiment.

" _I'm not sure where I am. I don't remember anything. Where am I? Who are you?"_

Kara's heart broke, her mind immediately going back to the day her pod crashed. The day when Kal-El had found her and dropped her off at the Danvers, only visiting every once in a while. She had felt so betrayed and angry then, wondering why he would dishonor his house. Didn't he know? Now was her chance to be different than him. To be the person she always wished she had as a child. She loved the Danvers, and she recognized that without Kal's choice, she wouldn't have them as her family, but she couldn't deny that his choice had always left her with a hole she never thought she should have had.

" _My name is Kara Zor-El. You are at a government facility. We rescued you from a hidden corporation that wanted to use you as a weapon. They thought they had wired your brain, but a woman installed a failsafe that unlocked your neural activity. That's why you don't remember anything."_

"… _what? They wired my brain? What do you mean?"_

Kara grimaced. " _They spliced my DNA with someone else's and…created you."_

" _I'm a clone?"_

" _Yes. I am so sorry."_

The clone's eyes hardened, and his hands slid from their place on the glass, falling to his side. " _It isn't your fault. You rescued me."_

" _Do you have a name?"_

" _I have memories. Memories I know now that aren't real. I assume that's why I can speak Kryptonese. They must have felt the need to have me know the language. I remember my name as Kon-EL. I even remember you, Kara Zor-El. I was supposed to hate you."_

" _Kon-El, huh?" Kara mused._

" _Yes."_ He paused, his back sliding down until he was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest. " _What happens now?"_

Kara limped forward, the green lights still highlighting the pain in her head and leg. She pressed her hand against the glass, looking him straight in the eyes.

" _I swear to Rao that I will do everything in my power to get you out of there. You were a pawn of Cadmus, no different than I was. You should not have to suffer on their behalf."_

" _I will understand, Kara Zor-El. I will understand if you can't. That much power in a child who is genetically eighteen but was born yesterday…just don't blame yourself if you can't get me out of here."_

Kara could feel the tears build up underneath her eyes. This boy was no different that she was. He might as well be a connection to Krypton, to her house. It was cruel to let him sit in a cage for something he had no control of.

" _I have to go. I will be back, I promise."_

The boy nodded, and Kara made her way to the door. She unlocked it, Alex practically falling inwards. Kara caught her, pulling her out of the doorway, the door closing behind them.

" _Rao, you're worse than I am!"_ Kara accused, staring down the sheepish brunette in front of her.

" _Hey! That's unfair. You were in a room with a crazy Cadmus experiment! I wasn't just going to leave!"_ Alex defended, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kara rolled her eyes. " _Yeah, whatever."_ She grinned slightly. " _This reminds me of when I began teaching you Kryptonese."  
_

Alex laughed. " _Yeah well I was a lot better at learning Kryptonese than you were at learning English."_

" _No you weren't! I had to learn so fast in order to be able to communicate with you guys. You were learning for fun to have a secret sister language."  
_

Alex slug her arm over her sister's shoulders. " _While that may be true, we have something else to talk about."  
_

"What's wrong now?" Kara asked, tired of a problem springing up every time life was beginning to reach a standstill.

Alex paused to stare at her. "Kara, you just spoke English."

"What?" Her eyes widened. "I did! That's great!"

"Yeah. Barry was just about going crazy not being able to communicate with you. I think he was about ready to learn Kryptonese. I think talking about learning English might have triggered a part of your brain."

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing. Strange how I got aphasia right when I need Kryptonese to talk to Kon-El. What's wrong?"

"James called me to tell you that Lena is still looking for you. She keeps nagging him about where you are. Turns out we haven't done a good enough job making people believe that you are away on assignment."

"Oh crap, I've totally forgotten about work. I need to go back."

"Are you sure you should go back permanently so soon after everything that has happened?"

"I have to, Alex. It's been almost a month since the Cadmus fiasco and even longer since I talked to Lena. Don't worry, I'll still train with Oliver."

"Good. He's coming tomorrow and you two can train in the Kryptonite room."

Kara smiled sweetly, hiding the fact that she was most definitely dreading working with Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow who had shouldered her during their fight against the Dominators.

"Awesome. That's awesome. Well, I'm going to go find Barry before I talk to Lena. Maybe he can come with."

"Alright. Call me when you're done? We need some time together that doesn't involve torture, clones, alternate earth's, and aphasia."

"Amen to that," Kara agreed, hugging her sister.

She tilted her head, trying to hear where Barry was. Hearing screaming, her eyes widened and she super speeded to the armory where Barry, Winn, and Caitlin were currently shaking their head at a distraught Cisco holding a souped-up version of Alex's gun.

"That's my bad!" he announced, lowering the gun. There was a small fire near the wall where a hole had opened up a doorway that wasn't there previously.

Glaring at the man, she turned her head, gently blowing out the flame. She raised her arms, exasperated, and let them fall to her side. "What the hell, Cisco?"

Barry rushed over to her, grabbing her in a hug. "You can speak English!"

"Yes. Alex and I were talking and well—never mind that. What are you guys doing?"

"We wanted a tour of the place," Cisco explained, swinging the gun up to emphasize his words while Kara attempted to duck out of the way each time.

"Rao, can you stop swinging that thing around! Winn! Why in the world would you take them to the armory?"

"Well," he stuttered, seeing the angry gaze that Kara had often given to Mon-El after he did something monumentally stupid. "We were talking about how you and Alex had taken out so many aliens, and they wondered how Alex could face said aliens, so I showed them to armory."

Kara narrowed her eyes, taking a moment to digest the words that were coming out of his month. She shook her head, rolling her eyes at the four of them

"That's-that's not surprising. Winn, just…make sure J'onn doesn't see this." She turned to Barry. "You want to come with me?"

"Sure," he said, shrugging his shoulders at his sheepish friends and following the blonde out of the room.

The two of them walked, not saying a word, heading to L-Corp.

"Crazy month, huh?" Barry commented, staring at her eyes.

"Yeah," she agreed.

He saw the distant look in her eyes and knew there was something bothering her. Considering the possibility that she didn't want to talk about it, he ignored his foremost thought and prodded.

"What's wrong? You haven't said a word."

She took a deep breath, turning towards him, the two of them standing at the front of the doors to the building.

"It's a lot to process. There's been so much and we haven't even had time to stop and digest it. It's just been one thing after another, and we've been moved like…chess pieces in a game we didn't even know we were playing. I…I was tortured, then sent to a different earth, fought a clone, got aphasia, and now I'm going to just go back to my normal life."

Barry frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm just…was this a good idea?" she asked him, her hand gesturing between the two of them. "I mean, you moved from everything you have ever known just to be here on an earth you don't recognize. We got, admittedly, humiliated by getting tapped in a car, and now here we are. Did we make a mistake?"

Barry paused, his mouth slightly agape as her words sunk in. His mind raced through everything that had happened from the point he had arrived on this earth to now. The pain, the fights, the fast paced evil they had had to deal with. Did they make a mistake?

He smiled, taking her hand in his. "No. We didn't. Kara, I know it's been a whirlwind of emotions, and it seems like everything has moved really fast, but isn't that the point? I mean, I am the Flash."

Kara laughed, shoving him off the sidewalk. "Barry! I'm serious!"

He grinned. "I know. I just wanted to see you laugh. But I know we didn't make a mistake. This wasn't an overnight thing. I…I can't explain it, but I want to be here. I need to be here. You and me, we're partners, right?"

"Psh. I'm almost positive we agreed that you're the sidekick. Ms. Grant called it."

"No. No I am not. I am your partner. I told you that you sometimes when it comes to love you need to speed things up. We didn't make a mistake. I want to be here. Plus, Winn already got all of my documents ready, and I'm pretty sure he would cry if I didn't use them."

"Probably. Barry, I know I've asked you this so many times before, but are you sure you want to stay on this earth?"

He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. "There's no place I would rather be. Now let's talk to this Lena Luthor and hope she likes me better than Cat Grant did."

Kara grinned and duo entered L-Corp, the two of them immediately being rushed into her office. Lena stood in front of a board where there were newspaper clippings, pictures, and arrows all scattered across, covering each inch in some kind of marking. Kara hesitantly entered, worried and every alarm in her body going off. Barry nudged her and pointed and horror filled her body. She stepped towards her friend.

"Lena?" she asked hesitantly.

She whipped around, an unreadable emotion on her face. Kara saw a slight smile on her lips, but it was gone quicker than it had appeared.

"You're Supergirl."


	16. Chapter 16- New Revelations

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Sorry for not posting in a while! Been working on something else!

 **Chapter 16**

Kara reeled from her announcement, retreating a step. Barry stared at her, his muscles coiled, ready to do whatever needed to be done if Kara gave the word.

"Lena? You think I'm Supergirl?" Kara asked, trying to laugh. She saw the look on her friend's face—the disappointment blended with a deep sense of betrayal, and Kara's heart just about shattered.

She saw that the next five seconds would determine their relationship. The lie of who she was had scared her, as she wondered what the reaction would be if Lena had ever found out. Now her eyes stared back at her with an unfamiliar glean she would always see first when she looked back if Kara couldn't convince her otherwise.

"Don't bother denying it, Kara. I know you are Supergirl. It all makes sense," Lena responded, her voice a mere whisper as she staggered backwards.

Kara reached for Lena, the woman allowing her to. "Lena, I don't know what you're talking about. Of course I'm not Supergirl."

She shook her head, her eyes glazing over, no doubt replaying ever interaction that they had. Every talk, lunch, every ridiculously preposterous lie she had conjured up to leave and save someone's life. Everything. The months she had spent fabricating a double life to keep who she was from her best friend. Every interaction they had every had was surely under scrutiny as Lena tore apart each carefully constructed sentence

"I've been studying this for hours, Kara. I'm not some crazed fanatic grasping at straw! I know you are Supergirl."

Barry raised his hands and approached the woman, feeling very awkward and very out of place at the moment. The air was ripe with a tension that disputed any possible knowledge that might allow Barry to know how this was going to unfold.

"Lena, I can vouch for her. She's not Supergirl," he insisted, his voice slow and careful.

"And why should I give a damn what you say? I don't even know who you are," she retorted, her gaze whipping towards him, her eyes narrowed at the man she only just seemed to notice was in the room.

"I'm Barry Allen. I mean, I guess you shouldn't, I mean I would like you too, but I get why you don't." He noticed the confused looks and hurried to clarify. "I'm Kara's boyfriend. I know for a fact she isn't Supergirl."

Kara closed her eyes, already seeing where this was going and how Lena was going to respond. Barry, for all his good intentions, was not going to be able to refute the facts that were already filling Lena's head and clearing any doubt she might have had.

"Your opinion still doesn't sway me. If anything, your argument works against your claim," Lena countered.

She grabbed a newspaper off her board and a different picture as well, holding them at eye view to Kara.

"That's you. Please don't try to lie, Kara. I already feel like an idiot for not noticing my best friend was Supergirl."

Kara stuttered, her face turning a deep red. One moment. One friendship. Her pulse quickened.

"Lena, I-I can't," she whispered, her heart cracking with each word.

She nodded, resignation undeniably covering her face. "I know. I was angry. I wanted to be furious that my best friend had lied to me this whole time about who she was, but it wasn't my secret, and I understand why. I know why." She bit her lip. "The only part that matters is the fact that Kara Danvers has always been my hero just as Supergirl has always been National City's. But they both believed in me, and that's why I can't hate them. I don't have it in me, but I need some space to digest what happened to my mother, to my whole way of thinking. I created a monster meant to kill my best friend," she murmured to herself, horrified. "I-I need space."

Lena's face was stained with tears, and Kara grimaced with every tear that fell from her eye. Each word seemed to pierce her invulnerable skin right to her heart. She had expected this, but she never expected it to hurt as much as it did right now.

"O-of course, Lena. I-I," she paused thinking better of it, "—of course."

Lena nodded, her face red and puffy. She had felt like a fool, she still felt like a fool. She was now even more responsible for the loss of Mon-El, for so many other things that had hurt Supergirl because they had inadvertently hurt Kara as well. Barry Allen might be her boyfriend right now, but Kara's face still bore the pain of losing Mon-El and losing her planet. She didn't know how she hadn't seen it before. The haunted countenance hidden behind a sunny alter ego, the reserved, unsure personality, the slouched physical difference from the straight backed superhero, hands on her hips and ready to defeat the threat ahead.

It was the stereotypical hero disguise that she saw in damn comics, yet Kara masterfully pulled it off. It was almost as if she were a split person, and in some ways she was. She was so confident is certain areas and then clueless in others. She wanted to be able to say it was Kara's amazing acting that fooled her, but in truth it was her ignorance. She had all the signs in front of her. The power to perhaps change how she had acted and save Mon-El.

Angrily she shoved her palms into the board, pushing it back and watching as it slammed into the wall behind it sending everything tacked on to the ground.

She didn't know what to do. For the first time in a long time, Lena Luther was lost.

Kara dragged Barry out of the building, the two of them nearly becoming a blur to the people around them. He could see the tears on the brim of her eyes. This woman, Lena Luther, was important to her, and he could see through the strong façade she was slowly starting to build to hide her feelings.

"Kara. Kara, wait up!" he called after her, grabbing her wrist.

"What should I wait for Barry?" Kara demanded, whipping around to face him. "Lena h-hates me, and I-I just lost a friend. Rao, she even knows I'm Supergirl! How the hell did she figure that out?" She tore her hand from his grip, her fingers raking through her hair. "I can't believe this. What have I done?"

Barry reached out again, grabbing her hand and holding it between both of his, trying desperately to provide her with some sort of comfort—anything to help her. "Kara, listen! Lillian must have told her before she died. Kara, you can't blame yourself for this. She doesn't hate you. She just needs space."

"Space, Barry? She needs space? Like hell she does! She never wants to see me again! I-I lied to her. I-I looked her in the eyes and lied."

Barry let go of her hand, moving to cup her cheek in his hand. "Hey. Hey, you're going to be fine, Kara. You and Lena are going to be fine. She's not mad at you. Space and time. Sometimes it's the best thing we can do. I need you to trust me, okay?"

Kara laid her head on his chest, Barry's arm wrapping around her back and pulling her close as if he could wield off any other misguided fears just by hugging her.

"Let's get back. There's nothing more we can do," he said, his voice low and gentle.

Kara nodded, wiping her face and attempting to compose herself. Her phone buzzed, and she saw a text from her sister.

/turns out oliver is coming today. He heard the news and wanted to come asap. Hes going to train u and then a meeting. /

Kara groaned. "Great," she muttered to herself, typing a quick response.

/Super. Thnx/

/you're going to be fine kara. I put my money on u winning/

Kara rolled her eyes. "I'm going to die."

/yeah I'll totally win. Barry and I are heading back. Be there soon/

Kara looked up towards Barry, showing him her phone. "Let's head back. Apparently Oliver is coming today."

Barry sucked in a breath, carefully wiping stray tears from her face. "Be careful. Check the area for arrows. You never know what he is going to do."

"Are you saying he's going to shoot me?" Kara questioned, incredulous and slightly afraid.

He shook his head. "Probably not." He paused. "Hopefully not."

Face palming her forehead, she groaned and the two of them walked back. Kara couldn't forget Lena, and the crushing distance that she was supposed to heed to. Lena was her best friend. Shaking her head, she remembered Barry's advice, determined to give her space and time.

The two entered the DEO, Kara's fear growing exponentially as she thought of arrows piercing her skin. Barry recognized the look and didn't know whether to laugh or give her a hug. He settled for both, grabbing her in a tight embrace.

"Kara? I was joking…mostly. He's not going to shoot you. You'll be fine. I think J'onn wants me to get situated at the DEO and we'll go from there."

Kara glanced at him skeptically. "Are you sure you want to work at the DEO?"

Barry shrugged. "I don't know. It's not really my speed—"

"Barry!"

"—but I don't know if there are any other places for me to work."

"What about NCPD? Pretty sure they're in need of a lean genius speedster as their top forensic scientist."

"Great! Sounds like I fit the bill." He laughed. "I'll think about it."

"Good." She plastered a painted smile on her face, sucking in a deep breath. "Well, I guess I should show the Green Arrow how we superheroes do it in National City, huh?"

Barry shook his head and leaned in, kissing her. Her nerves vanished for a second as the two parted down two different hallways. She entered the Kryptonite room, seeing Oliver, decked in his Green Arrow suit and holding his bow.

Kara gulped, seeing an arrow already nocked in. "What, uh, what are you doing with that?" she asked, her muscles coiled in anticipation.

"Has anyone realized what a terrible idea this is?" he asked her.

"Wh-what?"

"This," he clarified, his hands gesturing to the vast area in front of him. "No one thought it would be bad to have you constantly exposed to the only mineral that can hurt you? Not to mention this room is easier to break into than the revolving doors at S.T.A.R. labs."

"Well, I mean, the DEO is pretty secure anyways, so we always thought it would be enough to have it encrypted to mine, Alex's, and J'onn's handprint."

"Which would be a good idea if it wasn't hackable. For god's sake, Felicity could probably hack this an earth away."

"Oliver, are you just going to whine about how poorly guard the DEO is or are we going to train?" Kara retorted, already sick at his constant complaining.

"That's the point, Kara. You guys are reckless. You don't take the necessary precautions to keep a damn government facility properly safe. Then you catapult yourself into situations without waiting and get your ass handed to you be people you should easily be able to beat." He took a breath and pointed to a bowl of water in the middle of the platform.

"What? Do you want me to drink it or something?" Kara questioned, leaning over to inspect the bowl, half expecting it to explode in her face.

"No. Slap it. I turned the levels up just enough to neutralize your powers. Slap the water."

"Oliver, are you joking?" She was about one second away from running and getting Dr. Hamilton to see if he had a concussion.

"Yes. Slap the water. I'll be back in an hour."

Kara's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me. You want me to slap this bowl of water for an hour?"

"Yes, I do. When the bowl is empty, fill it back up."

Oliver nodded towards her and exited the room, the doors sliding shut behind him. The last thing he heard was the soft muttering underneath her breath as she sat down, hand raised above the bowl. He met Sara outside of the room, the woman glaring at him.

"You have her hitting a bowl of water, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, Sara."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Why? She's already stronger than all of us combined."

"When she's under the sun. In there, she's weak with pretty much no immune system other than what Caitlin and Alex shoved down her throat when she was recovering. She needs to build up muscle and more importantly, she needs patience."

"Hate to break it to you, Oliver, but I think you're teaching her anger more than patience."

"Sara, instead of questioning my methods, would you mind asking Cisco to try and construct a different kind of room for us to train in? I'm not a scientist, but I highly doubt that continuous exposure to Kryptonite is going to help her."

"Wow, Ollie. That's very nice and smart of you. Of course I will."

The blonde woman strutted off to find Cisco, only tagging along with Oliver because he had asked just in case he needed help training Kara. The man roamed the halls, examining each room and door, every weakness, blind spot, and weapon that the DEO had. He glanced at his watch, noticing an hour had passed and trekked back to the room, opening it to find Kara slam her fist into the bowl and break it.

Oliver rubbed his eyes and walked over to her, seeing the water pour off the sides of the platform and filter into an oddly placed drain in the middle.

"Going well, Kara?"

She whipped around, smiling at him. "Went well the first two times I did it. Then it started to get really really really annoying. What's the point of this?"

He grabbed her hand, looking at her red knuckles. "Kara, do you trust me?"

"Of course, Oliver. But this," she said, pointing to the shattered bowl, "is really pushing it."

"Just trust my teaching. I'm not just making you slap a bowl of water just to slap a bowl of water."

"Great. You're going full Mr. Miyagi, aren't you? Wax on, wax off. Paint the fence but really you're doing karate moves?"

Oliver sighed. "Kara, you aren't taking this seriously. You need to think smarter. Be smarter. It doesn't matter if you can lift one hundred tons if you don't think about what you can do because of it. Geniuses have taken down people stronger than you."

"Oliver, I don't thi—"

He swung his fist at her, connecting with the side of her cheek. Her body, loose and unprepared for the strike, carried with the momentum and flung her body to the side. Oliver tilted his body backwards, kicking with his leg, hitting her stomach. She fell to the floor, angry, and quickly stood up. She rushed him, off balance and lopsided from the multiple hits. Oliver easily redirected the energy a different way, pushing her to the side.

"Don't get angry. Become calculated. When facing a superior opponent, become smarter."

Kara's anger deflated, seeing that her fury was leading her nowhere. Seeing the attack a split second before it happened, she moved out of the way, the hit missing her for the first time since they started.

The two of them gauged each other, reaching a comfortable, fluid movement of fighting. Kara could sense his next move just as he could sense hers. A second after the thought, something changed, and Oliver altered directions, his fist coming back and hitting her again.

"Don't get comfortable. A fight is always changing, moving. Be able to adapt quickly. You are a good fighter, no doubt due to what your sister has already taught you, but you can get better."

He walked over to the wall, turning off the lights. Kara's injuries immediately beginning to heal, the bruises and blood vanishing. Oliver held out his hand, Kara taking it and shaking.

"Not bad. When you first got to earth, how did you control your strength?"

"I didn't. I pretty much destroyed everything in the house before I finally got a hold of it. Jeremiah helped me believe that I could hold back when it came to hugging and shaking hands."

Oliver nodded. "How much can you carry?"

She thought about it. "I'm not sure. I've never really been tested."

"How fast are you?"

"Not sure either. We haven't tested it in a while."

"What about how hot your vision gets? How cold your breath can be? How far can you see? Hear?" He paused a moment, the questions overwhelming her. "I don't think we could ever completely gauge the answer to any of those questions. Barry is constantly getting better; I am constantly getting better. You are as well. However, you don't utilize every arrow in your arsenal. You hold back against an enemy but sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have to give them hell with everything you have. Don't forget about everything else you can do, got it?"

Kara nodded, trying to truly hear what he was saying. She didn't want to fall into any more traps. She didn't want anyone else to die. "Thank you, Oliver."

"Of course, Kara. I'm not a therapist, in fact I rarely share my feelings, but I recognize the benefit of talking about them. With anyone."

Kara nodded, unsure of what to say. Her demons were a part of her. They never left her alone, almost always reemerging when something happened in a fight.

"I'll be here every Monday and Thursday to train if you decide to continue."

"I'll see you then," she responded, winking at him.

She would have to continue training with him. She was fighting recklessly and without a plan. She'd done it her way and people had died. Now it was time to try it his.

Oliver wandered out of the room, moving to inspect the facility even more. For a government facility, this place could serve to be more discreet and guarded.

Kara smiled as he left, the unsettling anger at the embarrassment of sitting and slapping a bowl of water replaced with unwavering trust in her green clad friend from a different earth. Her phone dinged, and she quickly pulled it from her pocket, grinning as soon as she saw Barry's name.

/hey i hope the training wasn't as terrible as u thought/

She swiftly typed out a response.

/it was actually pretty good once i got past having to slap a bowl of water/

/ha. That sounds like a very oliver thing to do…so if you aren't busy meet me at your apartment./

/hm what do you have up your sleeve barry?/

/just meet me there okay?/

"What's with the goofy grin there, sis?" Alex asked, walking up behind her and hovering while she read the messages. She raised an eyebrow at her, pushing her shoulder.

"Of course it's Barry."

"What's that supposed to mean, Alex?" Kara asked.

"Oh nothing."

"Alex!"

"Fine! Fine! It's just really nice seeing you so happy. Barry's a good guy."

"Yeah he is. But don't worry, Alex! I already promised you sister nights will still continue boyfriend or no boyfriend."

"Thank you. I'm going to hold you to that, alright? But we've talked enough, and I know you're anxious to go see said boyfriend. Go ahead," Alex said, ushering her out of the Kryptonite room.

"Thanks, Alex. Love you, bye!" she called after her as she blurred out of the room and to her apartment.

Changing quickly and pressing her glasses up her nose, she slowly opened the door and gasped in surprise. The room was dimly lit, the apartment transformed into a private dining area with rose petals littered across the floor. Her table was set with a crisp, white tablecloth draped over and fine china on top. Barry appeared out of seemingly nowhere, taking her hand in his.

Kara's heart quickened as her eyes glanced over his pressed tux and the single rose in his hand, offered out to her. Her fingers brushed against his as she took the rose from his outstretched hand.

"Barry, I-I don't even know what to say."

He smiled at her, the familiar mischievous glean in his eye connecting with the soft blue of her own.

"Well, our relationship never really came from orthodox means, and I think we deserve at least this kind of normalcy, right?"

Kara grinned at him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "I still can't believe this. It's amazing, Barry."

He gently pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind them and ushering her to a seat.

"Kara, I know that we've gone through so much in such a short amount of time and being…well, superheroes doesn't exactly give us the luxuries of a normal couple, but I want this. I don't want to go back to my earth. I talked to J'onn today and told him I didn't want to work at the DEO and I got a job at NCPD. I bought my own apartment, Winn set me up with every legal document I'm going to need, and I have everything I could ever want right here."

"Barry," she exclaimed through a small smile, "I-I-I'm…I'm, well, so…happy. About everything. The job, the apartment, just everything."

"Me too." Barry grinned. "But I think we pretty much exhausted Winn with all the documents he had to make. The poor guy was practically a shell of himself when I left the DEO."

She laughed, picturing her friend passed out on top of the consoles. "Winn's awesome. Cisco's bunking with him?"

"Yeah. They've already bonded over pretty much everything. Anyone else would swear they were doppelgangers," he jokes, grabbing her hand almost absentmindedly.

Her heart flutters with the contact, feeling suddenly like a high school girl on her first date. The romantic but relaxed ambience of the whole night filling her from her core with a happiness she hadn't felt since Mon-El.

"I'm not surprised. What about Cait? Has she found someplace to live?"

"I think she's looking at a place right now. Either way, everyone's settling in," he assures her, immediately knowing what she really asking. He shifts in his seat, and she catches the momentary discomfort before he covers it up with a quick grin.

"What's wrong?"

He shakes his head, his other hand moving to his neck in a gesture she clearly interprets as an uneasiness. His eyes shift downwards before meeting hers, his eyebrows narrowed in shy guilt.

"Kara…I-what happened to Mon-El?" he asks carefully, his eyes searching hers for any ignited anger at the innocent question.

She winces, knowing the question was bound to be asked. Her throat tightens, her mind flashing back to that day, and the deep pain she hadn't felt before. She can still picture her thumb pressing down on the button that saved the world but condemned her boyfriend, the first person she truly loved, to the darkness of space. The emptiness and never-ending dim glow of stars as the pod zoomed past the blackness. She knew what it felt like to be trapped, scared, and unsure of what would happen—if she would die or live, and yet she pressed the button.

Taking a deep breath and looking up, meeting Barry's concerned eyes with hers—filled with guilt, shame, and pain.

"I-I had to-to send him to space. I-I killed him." The words felt like concrete, heavy and weighted. They burn as they leave her mouth and strangely she feels empty, almost numb from the proclamation.

Barry immediately squeezes her hand, leaning forward to try and look into her eyes. Her cheeks flush, and she slowly turns her face towards his, fearing the inevitable horror that must have been painting every crease and indention etched on his face. She knows with fierce certainty that he must be disappointed because of the intense failure _she_ feels each time she even thinks of the roguishly handsome Daxamite who had slowly but surely changed into an amazing man.

The deep blue of her irises connect with his, and she's taken aback by the sincere sympathy in his eyes. The love swirling in with a deep understanding and for a second she forgets the pain and disappointment, focusing solely on the man in front of her.

His hand reaches out, cupping her cheek, and the trance is broken, leaving her with the broken emotions and feelings she had so suddenly vanquished.

"Kara," he says softly, brushing a slow falling tear from her cheek. "You gave him a chance at living. You made sure he didn't die, and wherever he is, he's alive because of you, and he's a better person too."

"Barry," she whispers, trying desperately to believe his words. To retain comfort in the simple declarations he was saying, knowing full and well that she did save him but unable to separate it from the deeply rooted frustration at not knowing where and how he was.

Staring into his eyes, she knew that she loved Barry. She had loved him ever since he had rushed through the portal and whisked her from the air, depositing them both in the barren outskirts of the city. She knew this, but she was also acutely aware that Mon-El's banishment from Earth was something she had to come to terms with if she ever wanted to move forward with Barry. She owed it to herself and to him, but the pain had invaded every aspect of her mind and moving on felt like an injustice to the love she had for Mon-El. Her heart was constricted, suffocating her and preventing her from fully devoting herself to the present instead of lagging one foot behind in the past.

But looking at the man in front of her, seeing the love and concern that was so earnest, she understood that she _wanted_ to move on, to move past pushing Mon-El into the pod and build something with Barry.

"I'm scared," she admitted, the confession tearing her apart with a childlike vulnerability she had never expected to feel again. "Mon-El, he was, I…I'm afraid that each time I get close to having everything, the universe just proves to me that I wasn't sent here to be…human. To have a boyfriend, a job, a best friend even. What if I'm just meant to have…this?" she asks, her hand moving to gesture in between the both of them.

Barry's eyes crinkle, his eyebrows narrowing. "Kara, of course you are!" he asserts, his voice shaking with a ferocity she's not sure she's ever heard from him. "Kara, you deserve everything the world has to offer you. You mother would have wanted that, Mon-El would have wanted that."

Kara smiles with each word. She's felt the pain of Mon-El's absence every time she's looked at the bed in her apartment or the room where they trained and forced herself to abstain from anyone, accepting that she wasn't meant to be human, that she was fully Kryptonian. Leaning forward and pressing her lips against his, she believes him.

Maybe she could have everything.

* * *

Lex Luthor was happy. He was ecstatic. Everything was going according to plan, and he couldn't hope for a better partner. His mother had been afraid of him, fearing he had gone mentally insane. He wasn't oblivious to the haunted look she had stared at him with. He was very cognizant of what everyone said behind his back, he just didn't care.

He was going to get everything he wanted, everything he deserved. His plan's only flaw was the necessity of working with incompetent people. He needed their gifts, but he was unable to make them do exactly as he wished. The plan was risked by people who were unable to see the bigger picture.

The stupid psychic was getting dangerously close to trying to think for himself, the blasted fool. He couldn't just follow directions, and they were unable to find anyone else capable of even remotely countering J'onn J'onzz's telepathic abilities. The idiot physicist Simon Jones was starting to become a problem and a loose end. However, they couldn't get rid of him yet. He still had use. He had managed to trick the heroes that they had a breacher. They never suspected a telepath strong enough to control one of their own.

But the plan was solid. Developed to perfection by…him. No one else had seen him except Lex and his mother, but for some reason the two had developed a mutual respect circling around common goals. Lex himself had only seen it two times, on his way to make it a third.

The door in front of him, scanned his body, the red light moving quickly before making a dinging sound and allowing him to enter. The room was dark, almost no light allowed inside. Lex had to move slowly, fearing falling. He used his hands, feeling the sides of the wall until he was sure he was in front of him.

"Our plan is moving as planned," he informed him.

He heard a deep sigh and rustle in front, followed by the raspy voice.

"Good. Subjects are unaware?"

"Of course. They have no idea we are monitoring them."

"Well done." He paused. "Proceed. Ask."

Lex swallowed, used to the being able to recall what he wanted. "What exactly is your plan?"

"Information. The foundation for any worthwhile civilization. As one of earth's most intelligent minds, I expected you to understand. These so called heroes parade around without any inclination towards power. A noble cause yet primitive and short sighted. You are unsure of why I have commanded you to do as you have done."

"I am," Lex admitted.

The man tilted his head staring down at him. The plan was simple to him. He understood everything before it happened, working it out in his mind with such detail that it was foolproof. However, when fools like Lex Luthor couldn't grasp the nature of his actions, often playing along until they no longer saw the bigger picture. Then doubt would spread, feeding into their twisted, deep paranoia. He had done much research on humans, and their relentless hubris that often led to their downfall. Their myopic attitudes had destroyed what could have been grand empires. People like Lex Luthor needed information to lead them to make choices they felt would further their own goals. He would throw a bone, and like a dog Lex would grab hold of his plan with both hands, ignorant and stupid.

"It seems as though the superheroes have…won. They managed to save Supergirl, unite themselves, destroy the barriers, kill Lillian, and incarcerate some of our assets."

"One cannot win a war without the knowledge of those they hope to beat. Knowledge, Mr. Luthor, is what win wars. Your generals of earth implement spies in place to gather intel on their enemy. They sacrifice a pawn to win the game. Supergirl served her purpose, as did the others. Due to Mr. Lord's mind control we know about Caitlin Snow and her unusual power set. I have seen the altered timeline that Barry Allen has created, and I know his limitations. I understand the extent of J'onn J'onzz powers as well as Cisco Ramon. These heroes can unite under one mantle but it is of no consequence. Project Superboy was merely a test for our applied science division and their capabilities. His unfortunate awakening will bear no effect on our plans. Our research gathered by the hand off of Kryptonite allows us to make an infinite supply and Superboy has allowed us to replicate a Kryptonian's unique powers. The facility that barred the teams from crossing dimensions was a distraction as I gathered more knowledge. Barry Allen's speed is now replicable, and phase two can begin. The explosion of both research facilities created the quarantined zone I required for the next phase of planning. The radiation is too toxic for any human. Supergirl is damaged, her confidence shattered. Her weaknesses have been brought to light as well as the weaknesses of others."

"And what of the others in our alliance?"

"Dr. Jones is still important to the plan. We will need his abilities. The others will be left alone. They will provide ample distraction for the next course of action."

"What about Lord? He was taken by the DEO."

"Leave him. He knows nothing to implicate us."

"Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E will be underway as soon as possible. Superboy was a success, and the team is confident they have enough information to continue without Lena or Lillian."

"Knowledge, Mr. Luthor. Knowledge is what will allow us to win."

Lex squirmed under the gaze of the alien in front of him. The pulsing nothingness in his pupils was…unearthly. It was indescribable the way he projected a certainty, a confidence in his plan. The intricate planning and unwavering certitude always left him in a constant state perturbation. He couldn't escape it.

"Why…why are you here?"

"Colu, Krypton, and now Earth. They will be my legacy and evidence of the power of knowledge. Goodbye, Mr. Luthor. Make sure you can finish what you have claimed you are able to accomplish."

He could sense the end of the conversation. He didn't have nearly enough of the answers he wished he had, and his desire to know more was hardly satisfied. It was grating not to be in charge, to be the one calling the shots. His ego was burning, but he was merely waiting for the best time to usurp this foreign bastard.

"Who are you?"

The creature stood, the air seeming to chill with each breath he took. He could feel the trembling as its feet pounded against the ground. Lex had never caught a clear glimpse of the extraterrestrial being, except for his condemned gaze, but to see all of him now was unsettling to say the least. He was well over six feet, metal surrounding the entire exterior of his body. He saw purple seeping through his metallic veins and smooth, thin bars that extended from metal plates on his head, connecting in a purple circle.

Lex didn't even see him move before his was unsettlingly close to him, his eyes level with the demon's. Or whatever this…thing was.

"I have been called many things throughout the universe, each one only an attempt to label a being they cannot comprehend. Some that are unpronounceable for a human."

Lex bristled at the insinuation. "I'm a smart man. Try me."

"Mr. Luthor, your insistence at such petty exhibitions of power are unnecessary. I have accumulated many names throughout my reign, but I have grown quite fond of a particular one."

Lex shivered, feeling a chill sweep through the air.

"I am Brainiac."


	17. Chapter 17- A Little Bit of Normal

**A/N:** Hey, guys! Thanks for being so loyal! I'm sorry these posts are so irregular. I've been working on an original and trying to find a good place to put it. Hope y'all like this chapter!

 **Chapter 17**

Water sprayed at her feet as she slammed her fist into the damn bowl for the hundredth time. Her face showed blankly while she pounded the remaining droplets out and then refilled it. It was a satisfying sound to hear the crack of the plastic against her hand. Especially so when she saw the disgruntled look on her mentor's face as he grappled with what to do after she did it.

Oliver stared at her curiously, analyzing every facial feature and crease. He'd had her doing this for days now. She would look at him with an almost petulant countenance and then proceed to break the bowl whilst staring at him point blank. He didn't know what to do while Cisco formulated a different type of nulling factor to rid Kara of her powers temporarily that didn't manage to give her Kryptonite cancer.

"Kara, I said to smack the water, not shatter the bowl," he repeated for the fiftieth time, grabbing a ceramic container from his stack.

"I know! Rao, Oliver, I know! You've had me smack this bowl for days! When can I stop?"

"When you stop asking that question! Your patience is worse than a three-year olds!" He rubbed his face, letting his finger drag down his cheek. "Kara, being a hero takes precision and patience. You can't always jump the gun and fix everything in the blink of an eye. Also, slapping the water increases your natural strength when you're not under the sun which I'm positive that you have none of.

Kara rolled her eyes at him. "Oliver, I know, but don't you think that we should focus on the other part of fighting. Particularly the actual fighting."

"Kara, I need you to trust my judgement. Please just trust me right now." He looked at the clock then back at her. "Alright, just…let's end there today, okay?"

Kara nodded, running her hands through her hair. "Oliver, thank you. I do appreciate you." She shrugged. "Most of the time."

The man gave a tight grin before turning around and walking out. Kara sighed and bent down to begin picking up the shattered pieces of plastic strewn around the training room. She truly did trust him, but it was the impending sense of danger that always seemed to push her towards wanting to do something _useful._ Well, more useful than slapping a stupid bowl of water. She wanted to fly and punch and destroy the person who had caused her so much pain in the past months.

She still vividly remembered how it felt when the bullets punctured her skin. She remembered how it felt to be utterly alone and know you were going to die. She remembered each tear, cry, and strike of fear that had coursed through her body and mind. It was constantly there, at the back of her mind, clinging to each thought until she couldn't help but dwell on it.

Kara felt a gush of wind and then the pressing of hands over her eyes. She smiled inwardly and leaned into the body behind her.

"Guess who?"

Kara laughed and turned around, pressing her lips against his. "Barry Allen, when it comes to stealth you are absolutely the worst."

"Hey!" he said, lifting his hands in mock insult. "I can be stealthy." His arms snaked around her back and pulled her closer to him. He grinned and leaned forward before she twisted her head, his lips landing on her cheek. "C'mon! You don't have your powers in this room. Think about it."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Hm. Tempting. But I have to go meet with Kon-El. You're more than welcome to come."

"Ah, well actually, I have to meet with the chief at NCPD to lock in my position. With my experience they appointed me the head of the forensic department, which is awesome. It's an upgrade from my other earth, so I'm pretty excited."

"You should be!" Her phone dinged and she groaned. "It's time for me to go. Can we get together later?"

Barry nodded. "Yeah sounds good. I'll meet up with you at Noonans."

The woman smiled to herself as she waved one last time before walking out. He was perfect. More than anything she had ever had before. This life she had, the life she made for herself, was something she found herself treasuring even more than before. The tragedies of life had all seemed to bring the best part of it back to her, and for that she was eternally grateful.

Kara stopped in front of the room, and her hand quickly pushed the door open, the metal frame swinging shut and clicking to suction it closed. She saw the mere boy in the glass box, frozen and unmoving. He eyes followed her as she sat, legs crossed right outside. He slowly inched his way to sit across from her.

" _Kara Zor-El_."

" _Kon-El, it's nice to see you again."_ She grinned. " _I'm sorry I haven't been able to get you out of this box."_

" _It's alright, Kara. Someone has to answer for what happened_ ," he affirmed, his gaze vacant.

" _Kon-El, I promise I'll get you out of there_." Her face contorted, hoping to Rao that she could make him believe it himself.

For the first time since the start of the conversation, his mouth turned upwards in a smile for a short second before returning to its original state of anger. " _I will not hold it against you, Kara Zor-El, if you can't."_

Kara held her hand against the pane of the glass, the boy slowly placing his atop it on the other side. Her heart nearly broke seeing him so broken and lost. She couldn't help but remember and the memories only served to solidify her resolve. She pulled her phone out and punched in the number. The phone rang for a second before it was quickly answered.

"Kara? You okay?"

"J'onn, I need you do something for me."

She heard a sigh at the end of the line. "You want Kon-EL released."

"Just for the day. Please," she pleaded.

"Kara—" he started

"Please, Rao. He's just a kid! Let me show him earth. Let me train him."

"Kara, it's more complicated than that. I can't exactly _snap_ my fingers and release a Cadmus experiment into the general public without causing a scene."

Her eyes furrowed over in anger. "And why the hell not? J'onn, this isn't just an experiment! It's a boy who was poked and grown from a _cell._ He's suffered enough." She cupped her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and shot Kon-El an apologetic look as she backed to a more secluded part of the room.

"That's exactly my point, Kara! He's an _experiment._ He's a _clone._ "

"J'onn, that's hardly an excuse and you know it. You're the director of the DEO. Just make it happen. I need you to trust me."

There was a shuffle at the other end as he decided what to do before a click and a resigned sigh. "Kara….fine. Alright, you have my blessing. You can take Kon-El out for the day. Try not to be too conspicuous and work out the specifics by yourself. I want him back in the cell by tonight."

Kara's heart fluttered, and she gave Kon-El the thumbs up before thanking J'onn and then ending the call. She rushed over to the boy and pressed her palm to the pad, unlocking the cell. The boy stepped back hesitantly and gave her a wary look.

" _Kara Zor-El, I don't know about this."_

She smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards her. " _First of all, you can't call me Kara Zor-El out there. It's just Kara. My last name is Danvers and as far as you know, I am your…uh. I'm your sister."_

" _Sister?"_ he asked, raising an eyebrow.

" _We can work out the paperwork later. So we need to come up with a name for you."_ Her eyes came alive at the prospect at helping create a whole new identity for the young boy in front of her. " _Kon-El. Kon. That's it! Your name can be Connor. Connor Danvers." She grinned at him, waiting for him to respond._

He nodded slowly as if digesting the name. " _Connor Danvers. Alright. I am Connor Danvers_ ," he repeated.

" _Great! So you look about…seventeen? eighteen? Let's be generous and say eighteen_."

" _Eighteen,"_ he said. " _And how old are you?"_

" _Um. I like to say I'm twenty-five. Which is true, but I was in hyper sleep for twenty-four years. So adding all that up…let's just stick with twenty-five. I'm twenty-five,"_ she rambled.

" _Twenty-five. You'll teach me about Earth?"_ he asked. A glimmer of hope flashed through his eyes. A glimmer that he might find redemption in this cheerful and out-going woman.

" _Of course! I'll take you to the mall and then to Noonan's so we can meet up with Barry_."

His eyes glazed over like he was receiving an info dump, and his body stiffened. " _I was supposed to kill Barry."_

Kara paused mid-step, smile plastered onto her face in a well-what-do-you-say-to-that kind of way. " _Um. Yeah. I-I guess so. Let's not think about that. I'll take you to the mall to get some clothes and then…oh my gosh I forgot."_

" _What is it_?"

" _Your powers. You have the same as me. Maybe we shouldn't go to the mall. It was really difficult for me to go there when I first came to this planet. The noises and smells. Honestly, humans are disgusting."_

She practically skipped over to the end of the room, opening the door and watching it swish open. The boy looked paralyzed. Dumbstruck and scared as if the action might open a portal to another world and suck him into it. It was the same look she wore when she had landed.

" _Conner?"_ The boy didn't move. " _Kon-El_!" His head snapped to hers in such a fast manner that she was scared he would get whiplash just from the cracking motion.

" _What?"_

" _Let's go. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me_."

He nodded and took in a shaky breath. " _What about your earth language? How will I communicate?_ "

" _It's called English, but Winn and Cisco are working on a neuro-input thingy that should teach you English or something. I'm not sure how it works. You have it easier than I did. When my sister taught me, she was doing it all on her own._ "

" _Sister? You have a sister from Krypton?"_

" _No. No she's an adopted sister. I guess she'll be your sister now too. Her name is Alex"_

" _Alex. My sister."_ Each word was said slowly and deliberately like he was committing them to memory each time he said them. " _Will she come?"_

Kara paused for a moment, rolling her head around. " _No. I want it to be just the two of us for a while."_

She grinned and grabbed his hand, yanking him down the halls of the DEO and then outside. The boy shied away from the sunlight, clutching his eyes and hissing.

" _Whoa there Dracula. It's just the sun."_

" _I thought you said my name was Conner,"_ he said, confusion muddling his already crunched face.

" _Yeah it is. But Dracula is a vampire."_ It was said so matter-of-factly that the boy couldn't help but nod along as if it was completely obvious.

" _Of course."_ He grimaced. " _Is the earth's sun so bright?"_

" _Well, I mean…yeah. I guess so. But the sun is what gives us our powers."_

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for more questions to come. They paused for a few seconds before she cleared her throat and grabbed him by the shoulders.

" _I'm going to take you to my loft and then we'll go out. What about that?"_

" _To the mall?"_ he clarified warily.

" _No no. Not to the mall. I'll take you to Noonan's. It's awesome. They have the best sticky buns."  
_

He blinked twice, the words not registering in his mind as something fun or even _not_ fun. Kara smiled sweetly and bent her knees, using the pressure to catapult into the air. The air swooshed past their face, their hair slicked backwards from the wind. The ride overall didn't take long, and they landed roughly through the window of her loft, spinning and crashing onto the ground.

" _Sorry about that. I kind of snagged my foot on the edge of the curtain."_

Conner's blond hair was ruffled and stuck out of several sides of his head. His eyes were blank and looked almost traumatized by the tumble.

" _You're very fast,"_ he pointed out simply.

Her smile widened as she nodded in pride at the boy. " _So I've heard. I still have some things from Mon-El that I could give you. They should fit."_

" _Mon-El?"_

The skip in her step faltered but returned just as fast as it had disappeared. She was okay. She had come to terms with him. She had to. Her grin stretched to the sides of her face as she looked at him, trying to keep the pain from showing.

" _He was a good man."_

She threw a shirt his way, Conner catching it quickly before it collided with his face. " _I'm sorry if I hit a nerve."_

" _You didn't, Kon-El. I mean Conner. It's fine."_ She riffled through a set of shirts and jeans, turning around every so often to chuck another piece of clothing at him.

The boy struggled to catch all the strewn garments, and grunted when one smacked into his face in particularly hard fashion. Kara whipped around, hearing his disgruntled and muffled cry, and her face contorted in a mixture of laughter and guilt from seeing the boy glaring at her.

" _I'm so sorry! I-I well, honestly, you look hilarious,"_ she admitted, pulling shirts from off his head.

A black one caught her eye and she held it up to him, grinning openly. " _Perfect fit."_

Kara pulled and yanked him around the loft pulling things from dressers and hangers, holding them up to him and then frowning in disdain before trying another. She let out an exasperated sigh and nodded to him.

" _Let's just go with the black shirt. I don't think we'll find something better than that._ "

" _Okay."_

She smiled and exited the bedroom, giving him time to change in peace. Five minutes later he stepped out of the room, pulling at the shirt and giving her a wary look.

" _It's perfect, Conner. I think it's time we go and explore National City."_ Her face scrunched in pure, unconstrained joy as she tugged the boy out of her loft, quickly checking to see if anyone was watching and flying gently to the outskirts of the restaurant. The two landed softly on the grass, and she straightened her glasses, nodding towards the door.

The door clinked open, and she took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh doughy goodness the accompanied the quaint place that had become such a staple in her everyday favorite foods. The place was such a favorite, doubling as both a casual and fancy place to go.

She waved towards Jill, her favorite waitress, who quickly hurried over to them, pad in hand.

"How's National City's best reporter? Coffee to keep you awake? Or how about some sticky buns?"

Kara's eyes narrowed in hunger as her stomach growled from underneath. "Ooohhh. I'll take both. Thank you, Jill!"

She nodded, scribbling the order down. "And how about you? Would you like something?" she asked, eyes connecting with Conner's.

" _What is she asking me, Kara?"_

Jill's eyes widened. "What was that? A form of Spanish?"

Kara grunted, her throat constricting. "Uh-uh-uh yeah. Yeah it's a form of Spanish. My brother is just…um….trying to become more fluent…by speaking it?" Her voice betrayed her as it cracked in the middle of the obvious lie.

However, Jill seemed to accept it, crack and all, as she nodded, mulling over the new information. Her forehead crinkled as she looked at Kara curiously.

"I thought you only had a sister."

Kara nodded eagerly, desperately hoping that she could somehow stop the flow of questions before she slipped up. "I do! I mean…we don't talk about him a lot. He spent a lot of time in Spain studying there as a foreign exchange student, but he's back in National City to figure out what he wants to do for college." She was surprised she was able to come up with something so…realistic and relatively believable.

Jill nodded. "Oh. Okay. What's your name?"

Conner stared at her, not understanding a single word she was saying. He looked towards Kara, hoping she could shed some light.

Jill slapped her head. "Of course. I know a little bit. How about…¿Cómo te llamas?"

Kara's face paled immediately, and she tried signaling him from across the table. The boy calmly set his palms flat on the table and stared her in the eye. "Conner. Conner Danvers."

Jill smiled. "That's pretty much the only phrase I know in Spanish. Well it's nice to meet you Conner. I'll go get your order put in right away."

She scurried towards the kitchen, and Kara let out a pent up breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Exasperated, she looked at the boy and raised a questioning eyebrow.

" _How did you know what she was asking?"_ she whispered fiercely.

" _I didn't. I just told her my name."_

Kara leaned back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. " _That was really close."_

She felt hands snake over eyes, and she tensed before relaxing, smelling the familiar scent of vanilla and coffee. "Let me guess…Barry?"

"I should have known I couldn't sneak up on Supergirl." The last word was muttered into her ear softly, and she grinned at him, pulling him over in front of her."

"What are you doing here? We weren't supposed to meet for a couple more hours.

"Yeah I know. Winn just wanted me to drop this off."

It was a blue capsule the size of any regular pill. She examined it carefully. "What's this?"

Barry shrugged. "Some kind of ingestible translator I guess. It should help Conner speak English instead of Kryptonese."

Her eyes widened, and she shoved the pill towards Conner, gesturing towards the water in front of him. He took the sign and grabbed it from her open palm, fisting it and then chucking it down his throat, washing it down quickly.

"Conner? Do you understand?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Kara Zor—Danvers. Yes, Kara Danvers. I understand you. This device works perfectly."

Kara collapsed into Barry's side in relief. She saw Jill returning with her order and ushered Barry to an actual seat next to her.

"Well, the more the merrier, right?" Jill commented, bringing out her pad once more. "What can I get for you, sir?"

Barry shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thank you though."

"Alrighty then. Mr. Conner then. How about you? Want anything other than that water?"

"No, thank you. I am fine?"

Jill's eyebrows raised, and she turned to Kara for conformation that the boy had actually spoken English. "Did you-did he?"

Kara opened her mouth to respond but paused, her eyes glazing over. Barry glanced towards her, noticing the distracted gaze on her face. He slipped his hand over hers, quickly recognizing the intense stare.

"Oh yeah," he covered. "He um, he speaks English too." He stammered through the lie, trying to guess at what was said before and offer a quick and easy escape for the three of them.

"Oh," Jill said. "Well, your sticky buns should be out any second now."

Barry flashed her a bright smile. "We're going to need to get those to-go. Unfortunately, I need Kara to help show me around town before my big interview!"

"Oh of course! Let me get those for you right away!" The woman practically ran off, bounding for the sticky buns and a to-go box.

As soon as she was gone, he turned to Kara. "Let's go."

"What about Conner?"

"Don't worry about it. Cisco's on his way!"

She nodded and the two of them left, Kara shooting Conner a sympathetic look. Once they were in the alley, she ripped open her shirt, revealing the shining S on her chest. Barry gave her a sideways glance, eyebrow raised.

"Do you have to buy new shirts every time you do that?"

She shrugged. "Well, I mean,,,yeah. I do."

"Maybe I can have Cisco whip up another one of these for you." His voice held an air of excitement as he extended his arm in front of him. His body vibrated quickly, and she could see a costume pop out of the ring on the middle finger of his right hand. He changed and winked at her, the look of jealously freely seen in her face.

"I want one!"

Barry smirked at her and sped off, Kara following close behind from above. They crossed three streets before seeing a bank robbery in place. Police cars were already lined up and barricades erected to keep the general population from getting two close. Kara landed near Maggie, phone pressed against her ear and eyebrows narrowed as she tried to talk him out of it.

"You don't have to do this. Just let them go," she tried, her voice calm and convincing.

Kara could hear a gurgling cry from the other end and then a click as the line died. She approached the woman, the events of a year ago ringing in her head.

"Detective Sawyer. How may we help?"

She looked surprised but grateful and ushered her and Barry off to the side. "Man's name is David Ross. Wife took all the money from him in their divorce, and he snapped. Guy went into the bank and started waving a gun around. We don't have visual so we're not sure how many hostages there are, but he's losing it. I'm afraid in the next hour he might do something rash like kill one of them."

Kara nodded and peered at the building, making out the bodies inside. "There are 13 hostages. One is bleeding from a gunshot wound in the leg. He's lost a lot of blood."

"How do you want us to handle this?" Barry asked, taking the lead from Kara. He didn't understand why they hadn't just bust into the bank and tied up the criminal yet, but this was her city. Her call.

"Maybe Skippy here can zip through there and take the hostages out one by one. Then Supergirl can apprehend him." She turned to look at Kara. "The old-fashioned way."

She nodded and smiled. "The old-fashioned way," she agreed. "Alright, Barry. On three."

"One," he started, lightning flashing through the irises of his eye.

"Two."

"Go!"

He barreled through the building, phasing his way in and out of the wall, and grabbed the one with the gunshot wound. He carefully held him and ran him out, afraid that he might jostle him and cause him to lose more blood. One by one, he streaked back into the bank, the only thing visible being a flash of red before another person vanished. A minute later, he had everyone free, and Kara stood in front of the man, her arm raised to stop him from shooting her.

"What the hell—what did you do?" he yelled, his voice cracking slightly. His eyes were puffy and red-rimmed with tears. The man held the gun fully away from his body, his posture and body language indicating that he would rather do anything except fire the weapon.

She slowly approached him, arm still raised. "You don't have to do this, David. I know there's still good in you."

The gun shook in his hand, and Kara couldn't help but feel a spark of panic at seeing it so close to her. She pushed down the thickness in her throat and continued towards him.

"Please. You can set the gun down. It's not going to hurt me." _It's not going to hurt me._ She tried reminding herself that it was just a gun. There was no Kryptonite inside. It was regular bullets. Regular lead-lined bullets.

"My wife—she…my _wife._ " he explained, his voice full of emotion.

Kara nodded, feeling her own throat constrict. "I know, David. I know, but this is your time to make a decision, and I know that you are a good man." She could see the edge of a photograph in the front pocket of his shirt. She squinted and saw David with a little girl probably about three-years-old. "You're a good man. A good man who's going to make a good choice. For you daughter."

She saw the pain flicker through his face and the crumple that followed. The gun slipped from his hand and clanged to the floor of the bank, the sound rattling through the empty building. Kara let out a breath she wasn't sure she had been holding in, and she took him by the hand. She slowly led him out where Maggie was waiting with handcuffs.

The man turned to Supergirl before raising his hands together in front of him. "Thank you, Supergirl. _Thank you._ "

She nodded and nearly collapsed as soon as he had left. She felt her stomach heave and her vision swam. Barry sped over to her side and grabbed her by the shoulder. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he picked her up bridal style and ran to the DEO.

"Alex?" he called through his comm.

There was a crackle and then finally a voice. "Allen? That you? What's up?"

"Yeah it's me. Kara's not responding. We just took care of a hostage situation, but afterwards, she just stopped. I think she's having a panic attack."

He heard a bang he presumed was a slammed door and then a few more scrapes until silence. "Alex?" he asked carefully, his feet faltering slightly as he ran.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here. Get her here as soon as possible. I'm waiting in the AI room."

He sighed in relief and increased his speed, the wind brushing past his face. One step after another. Barry didn't bother with the door to the building, instead opting to go straight through it, going so fast that he didn't even have to consciously think about phasing in and out. The DEO agents fell backwards as a gust of wind propelled past them and towards the room that was immediately locked before anyone could so much as wonder what was going on.

Barry's feet skid to a stop in front of the brunette and gently deposited Kara onto the floor. She didn't stir, and her face wore a blank expression plastered onto a pale far-away gaze. Alex knelt beside her and shook her shoulder.

"Kara? Kara, can you hear me?"

The reaction was immediate, and her head snapped to the voice. They could both see the emotional turmoil tumbling through the light blue of her eyes and the shudder that reverberated throughout her body.

"A-Alex, help!" She screamed, her throat releasing a raw yell that echoed through the halls. The walls of her throat shook from the uncontained shriek and both recoiled from the suddenness of it.

"Alex! Please! No-no! Please no more! I won't tell you! Let me go!" She squirmed from Alex's hold and managed to get a hand free, knocking her sister in the arm. Alex gasped from the hit and clutched her dislocated shoulder.

"What's happening?" Barry asked, eyes alert and concerned seeing Kara thrash so violently.

"It was too soon, Barry!" Alex wheezed, trying to hold her down as much as she could. "She hasn't been regular Supergirl in forever. She just now got a clean bill of health to leave. She shouldn't have gone into there!"

"So she's hallucinating?" he asked, quickly clarifying.

"It's more of a flashback. Something in the bank must have triggered a reaction in her…some kind of PTSD."

"NO!" A bloodcurdling scream emanated from the blonde in her lap, and her fingers curled into a fist as her back arched.

"Kara!" Barry yelled, pressing his palm to her forehead. "Kara, please, it's not real! It's not real!"

Alex struggled with her, trying to wrap her in a hug. "Kara, it's not real. We're here. You need to snap out of it!"

Her head spasmed to the side before stilling and leaning back into Alex. Her breaths came shorter, and she slowly turned her head to look at her. "Alex," she whispered, her voice low and broken.

"Shhh…it's okay. I'm here." Alex could feel her calm down and her chest rise and fall, considerably slowing. "What happened there, Kara?"

"It was so terrible. I-I-I can't stop thinking about it," she stuttered, her face falling and tearing up.

Barry cupped her cheeks in his hands, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead. "You don't have to talk about it."

She nodded and fell into Alex, resting until she finally passed out. Alex looked at Barry, concern and anger littering her face.

"Barry, we need to help her."

"How? Lillian is dead. There's no revenge to have."

"She's always had nightmares since she came to live with us, but it's never been this bad. It's happening in plain daylight now. The flashbacks are so bad that she actually thinks it's happening right then and there." She bites her lip. "Until we can help her, I don't think she should be out in the field anytime soon."

"I agree. She hasn't even recovered from her last bout of Cyan Kryptonite. She still limps, and she won't tell me but has frequent headaches."

"I wish there was something we could do," Alex added, brushing a stray hair from her sister's forehead. The two paused, letting the silence percolate before Alex broke it. "I wanted to kill her when we found her. I wanted to be the one."

Barry flinched, immediately understanding who she was talking about. The blunt confession unnerved him, but he admitted to himself that he would have had no qualms doing it himself if it came down to it. Lillian Luthor should have suffered for what she did.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"We take her home. Then we burn Cadmus's entire organization to the ground. It can't survive long without her."

* * *

Conner sat at Noonans looking vastly confused and waiting for Kara to return. He waited for thirty minutes before a long-haired man dressed in a dark blue shirt came rushing through the door. He scanned the room before finding him and running over.

"Conner, my man! I'm sorry it took so long. Turns out navigating a new earth is harder than you'd think."

"Who are you?" he asked quizzically.

"I'm Cisco Ramon, resident breacher and all-around awesome. Barry said he needed me to come and take you back to the DEO."

Conner nodded. "Of course. I will return with no problems." He stood up and extended his arms, wrists pressed together.

"Whoa! Whoa!" he said, backing up. "I'm not here to arrest you or anything. I'm just here to escort you back."

"My apologies. I thought I was being contained."

Cisco grinned, grabbing the to-go bags, slapping a twenty on the table, and leading the boy out of the restaurant. "Nope. I'm taking you back to the DEO, but Winn and I set up a gaming system. We're going to teach the most important thing about humans….gaming."

"Gaming?" he asked, unsure of the term.

"Yep. It's going to blow your mind."

"Huh. Alright then Cisco Ramon. Lead the way."


	18. Chapter 18- Seven Hours

**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, following, and reading! This chapter is more of a flashback to help move along Kara's progression. I thought it would be unrealistic to have her get over that kind of trauma really quickly. Fair warning: this includes a lot of torture. (Yes I did post two chapters in a row! I felt bad for having such a long break)

 **Disclaimer:** As a reminder…these characters are not mine. They belong to CW, CBS, and DC.

 **Chapter 18**

Kara woke up in a room that was becoming all too familiar to her. The suffocating white walls, and the steady beeping of an EKG right beside her. It practically felt like home to her. She sat up and stared to the side where she saw Barry, head in his hand, elbow on the side of the desk, sleeping peacefully. She could almost see the shadow of a beard on his face.

She groaned and gasped at her phone right beside her. It was full of messages, mostly from Snapper and James, all wondering where she was and to get her ass back to work, the latter one being primarily Snapper. One caught her eye though and she quickly clicked on it, her heart racing.

/We need to talk/ - Lena.

Kara could pretty much hear her heart raging through her chest as her mind came up with the most absurd reasons why Lena was texting her after a week of silence. Or rather…

She checked the date on her phone, realizing that a day had passed since the hostage situation. "Oh my gosh!"

Barry jumped up, hearing her distressed voice and grabbed the first thing he could find, unfortunately ending up with a pencil clutched in his palms. Kara snickered and laughed, pointing at the object in his hand.

"What were you planning on doing? Writing them a letter?" she joked.

Barry raised his eyebrow and mock laughed. "Ha. Ha. Very funny. Actually, in one of my CSI investigations, there was a case where a woman had found her husband cheating on her and stabbed him in the throat with a pencil. He died a very gruesome death."

She made a face, her features contorting in disgust. "Wow. Way overshare. I did not need to know that."

He grinned her and approached the bed, pencil twirling around his fingers. He pressed the tip against her throat gently. "Bam! Dead."

Kara blew gently, encasing the entire thing in ice. Barry yelped, dropping the thing to the ground and watching it shatter. "Nope."

"That was…okay that was pretty cool. Scoot over. I'm sitting here."

She obliged and moved over a smidge and snuggled up to him as he took place right next to her. They sat in silence for ten minutes, merely enjoying being pressed against each other, no worries. He shifted and looked her in the eye.

"Do you know what happened?" He didn't want to push too hard in fear that she might relapse.

She grimaced and nodded slowly. "I-I remember seeing Lillian holding a syringe full of Kryptonite. Then I passed out."

"It wasn't her. It was Alex."

Realization dawned on her, and she recoiled in fear. "Rao, I _hit_ her! I hit her in the arm! Is she okay? Did I hurt her?"

Barry grabbed her arm and squeezed. "It's just dislocated. Dr. Hamilton knocked it back in. She's out with a team to try and apprehend an alien that got loose. She's fine," he assured her, rubbing large circles over her back.

She was quiet for the longest time, noting that there really wasn't much to say after what had happened. She knew that there was something wrong, a problem lurking in the depths of her mind jarring to come out, but it was a fear she wasn't sure she had felt since she was thrust in her pod and rocketed off to earth.

"I was tortured," she said finally.

Barry's heart clenched, but he refused to let her see it. "I know."

"You don't. You don't know what they did to me."

"Tell me."

She took a deep breath. "When they took me, they threw me into a cell with Kryptonite cuffs locked around my wrists behind my back. I couldn't move. I just laid on the ground while it burned into my skin. I stayed there for 7 hours."

Barry just listened. There were no words to respond to the atrocities that Cadmus had done to her, and he found anything he might say would come out as insensitive and inadequate. So all he did was listen.

* * *

 _ **One Month Ago- Midvale**_

 _ **Hour 1**_

Kara's eyes kept fluttering open as her head bounced up and down. She couldn't feel anything besides the stabbing pain that each jolt sent, throwing pins and needles through her entire body. It was excruciating.

It was vague but she felt like she could hear Alex's voice calling after her. She wanted to get up. Rao, she wanted to get back up. She wanted to run to her sister, her home and comfort, but she couldn't. She couldn't even feel where her arms and legs were. Everything was numb to the point of nonexistence. It was as if she didn't even have her limbs. That they were merely phantom limbs that weren't there, but she knew she _could_ stand. She just had to be strong enough.

 _Bump!_ Another jolt, another shot of pain spiking through her spine. Kara could make out the faint outline of green. _Kryptonite. Metallo._ She wasn't sure how she was able to piece this much information together while being in such close proximity to the one substance that could actually kill her, but she was grateful for the mental reprieve. She had to escape, or at least survive long enough for Alex to come and rescue her because Alex _would_ come. She would come, and Kara had to be ready.

She had completely lost track of time when they had finally arrived at what she presumed to be the Cadmus headquarters. Or at least an offshore warehouse.

They stopped in front of a barred area—a cage, really. It was totally filthy and disgusting, and she thought she saw a rat skitter across the floor. She might have been a bit more upset if it weren't for the fact that Kryptonite was making her insides feel liquefied and broken, but really, anything else seemed to pale in comparison.

Metallo pretty much chucked her inside the cell, letting her arm smack against the concrete. She thought she felt something crack. She was hefted back upwards and her hands were cuffed behind her back, the levels of Kryptonite set on the highest setting.

"St-stop. Pl-please. Stop," she begged.

Metallo didn't respond but turned away and slammed the bars closed. It clanged shut, and for the first time in a long time, Kara was utterly alone. No one to help her or get her out of this situation. It was her worst fear manifested in real life, and she was truly terrified that Alex wasn't going to find her—that she wasn't going to be saved.

"No," she whispered to herself, steeling her mind against whatever Cadmus was planning. "Alex wil-will come. She will."

She laid her head on the flat of the floor and closed her eyes, hoping to gain the slightest bit of rest before someone came and did whatever they had planned with her. It was such wishful thinking. As soon as her head hit the ground the gate reopened, and she was dragged towards a brightly lit room. In the middle was a table with metal links that were for her hands, no doubt. The guards threw her atop the surface, unlocking her cage cuffs and twisting her wrists into the metal links.

Once she was secured they exited the room, and Lillian Luthor approached with a syringe and a scalpel. Kara flinched at the surgical tools.

"Supergirl, finally."

"Li-Lillian Luthor. Can't say I'm su-surprised," each word pushing out a new struggle to get past her throat.

"I wouldn't imagine you would be. I understand you're a very intelligent alien," she conceded.

"Ca-careful. Tha-that almost so-sounded lik-like a compliment."

"Perhaps it was." She held the syringe up at eye level of her, brandishing the green liquid. "Liquid Kryptonite courtesy of General Samuel Lane. We have mutual interests."

Fear flicked through her eyes as her brain remembered the horror that her aunt was put through when Lane had injected it inside her. She remembered the ghostly screams that haunted her sleep when she slept. It was the only time she had really seen such prominent fear paint the features on her face.

Kara wanted to beg. She wanted to get on all fours and beg that Lillian not do what she was about to, but she couldn't. She wouldn't give her the satisfaction, and so she sat there was steely determination, looking down her enemy with a half grin forced on her face. Lillian wouldn't see her fear.

"I would have expected you to beg…even a little bit," Lillian prompted, pressing the needle against the inside of her elbow. "Maybe if you did?"

Kara jerked her arm as best she could, glaring at her. "Never."

"Very well." She stabbed the needle, no warning or indication, pressing her finger on the plunger and watching the green liquid drain into her body.

Kara felt the effects immediately and there was an underlying trill of pain she hadn't ever felt before when in the presence of Kryptonite. It was the fact that it was flooding into the deepest parts of her body, the cores of her organs. It swished through her muscles, tightening and releasing them with a crushing pain that felt like she was being slammed into a semi. It was the tensing of your body right before impact. Right before the indescribable pain smashed through you.

She screamed, her voice a sketchy bellow. She screamed until her voice was raw with pain and tears were burned onto her face. Kara knew that _this_ was what her aunt was begging her for. A release from this inhumane type of torture that the general had forced her into. One more strike of pain and then…she was gone.

She didn't feel any pain. She didn't really feel anything at all. The room was still the same, still a sickly form of a white and she was still on the rickety old table the felt like it was going to crumble under an ounce more of weight. She didn't dare move.

Her eyes seemed to deceive her. She saw the same brown curls spiraling past her shoulder. The same light blue eyes smiling down at her. The same white streak in her hair. She would have expected to see her mother if she was being ushered into Rao's light, but she wouldn't complain. She loved her aunt. She loved her with all of her heart.

"Aunt Astra, where am I?"

The woman walked to her slowly, pressing a cool palm to her face. "Little one, you can leave them. You can come with me."

She shook her head unsure of why she was visualizing her aunt. The one who had planned the mind-control of the entire planet.

"I can't…I-I-I need to—"

"You can be with us, sweet Kara," she whispered, her voice calm and pleading.

"Why you?" she blurted out.

The woman sighed. "Your situation manifested me. You still feel guilty for my death even though you weren't the one to kill me."

"I-I miss you." Kara's head nestled into her aunt's hand, content to stay here.

"I miss you too, little one. Come with me."

She wanted to. _Rao,_ she wanted to. It was becoming increasingly difficult to remember what was keeping her back there with the Kryptonite injection and the torture. With the endless survivor's guilt and the pain of losing people. With the lagging notion that she was a burden to other people, and the reminder that she wasn't really ever a part of the Danvers. Why would she stay?

"Come with me," she repeated. She slid her hand down to grab Kara's in an attempt to pull her towards her. "Come."

And she did…but the perfect world was struck. Both women fell to the ground, and Kara could feel her body. She could _feel_ her body again.

"No. No. No!" Kara didn't want to leave.

She wanted to stay here with her aunt and leave the world, but then her memories flashed in segments. Faster and faster they came and she remembered each moment that happened in her life.

" _Hi. My name is Alex. I guess I'm your new sister now." It was said with carefulness but a twinge of excitement at the prospect of having a sister, and an outstretched arm reaching towards her._

 _She stared blankly at her, not understanding a single word. Instead she hesitantly extended her own arm, nervous when the girl took it in her own and gave it a firm shake._

Kara flashed through again, her brain tumbling through the memories.

" _Kara, you need to use contractions. Honestly, no one uses both words. It makes you sound weird," Alex explained while angrily pointing at the paper._

" _It is…it's not normal. It does…doesn't sound natural." Kara returned, making a face._

" _Well it's going to have to if you want to fit in."_

Another jerk…another memory.

 _She crying as Alex stood in front of the door of the house, bags in hand. Both girls weren't speaking. They didn't know what to say. It wasn't something they were prepared for in any way or form, but they day had come. Alex had to leave, she had to leave for college in National City, miles away from where Midvale was. She had to leave…and leave Kara behind to finish high school by herself._

 _Alex stared at her sister, and she dropped all the bags. As if navigated by an invisible string, the two girls rushed towards each other, wrapping their arms around and squeezing with everything they were feeling. All the emotions pushed into the hug as both cried with big, fat tears streaking down their faces._

" _I'm coming. When I finish high school, I'm coming to National City," Kara stated plainly. It wasn't debatable._

" _I know. In the meantime, I'm going to be down here whenever I can. I'll be here whenever I get time off." She smirked at her. "But I can make an exception if any of those jerks give you a hard time. I'll come down and knock them on their ass for you."_

 _Kara laughed at her, her chest heaving to compensate for the abundance of tears she had just shed. But then her face regained its seriousness, and she stared at her sister. "I'm going to miss you, Alex."_

 _The brunette's smiled dimmed. "I'm going to miss you too, Kara. But I'm always there. Whenever you need me."_

It felt like the air was being pressed out of her lungs, like being sucker punched by Rocky without her powers. _One more_ something murmured to her. _One more._

 _She was in her loft, in the kitchen actually, pouring two glasses of wine. She knew she probably shouldn't be setting up this kind of setting, especially since he was leaving soon. She didn't want to be disappointed but at this point it was already inevitable._

 _She carefully carried them over to where he was waiting patiently, drumming his fingers on the cushion of the armrest._

" _Here we go," she said, handing him a glass._

" _I can't really get drunk," Barry responded sheepishly._

 _Kara grinned. "Me neither."_

" _That's a relief. I wouldn't want to be the only sober one and have to cart you to bed."_

 _She chuckled and punched his arm. "Hey! I wouldn't get THAT drunk!"_

" _Oh one wouldn't expect, but still." His eyes held a mischievous look._

 _Kara raised an eyebrow. "Despite being the only two people who can't get drunk…it doesn't mean we can't still enjoy it, right?"_

 _He nodded. "That's a yes to that. To enjoying things while we can," he proposed, holding up his glass._

 _There was a hush, a mood that blanketed the room after the words left his mouth. They both knew what they really meant, and it was a hard truth to swallow. Neither wanted it to happen, but it was going to no matter what they did to try and stop it. They had responsibilities to the people around them, and they couldn't forsake their duties._

 _Kara raised her glass and clinked it against his. "To enjoying things while we can."_

Kara sucked in breath, the memories suddenly ripped away, and she was very aware that she wasn't with Astra or with her sister or with Barry. She was back on the table with Lillian positioned over her, scalpel in hand.

There was a voice in the back of her mind, begging her to fight. To remember Barry. To remember Alex. To remember that she wasn't just dying…she was leaving behind those she loved, that meant more than everything to her and who loved her.

The pain had worn off—worn off being a very loose term, but she was grateful for the absent stabbing pain she had grown accustomed to.

"My apologies, Supergirl. I need to be more careful next time to make sure you don't slip in and out of consciousness." The scalpel's tip pushed into the middle of her chest, almost poking through the S of her suit. "Now onto phase 2."

Kara bit her lip. Yes. She was going to fight. Alex was coming, and she was going to save her.

* * *

 _ **Hour 4**_

Kara woke up, feeling like she was slammed into the ground with the force of a planet. Her hands were once again pinned behind her back, but at least she was still alive. Lillian had taken her time with this phase, cutting in and out carefully. She was sure not to injure any vital organs, but only get exactly what she needed.

After she had finished, she stabbed yet another needle into her skin and took blood. A lot. Kara felt woozy afterwards, like she was sinking in the middle of the ocean with only a small piece of plywood to support her. She couldn't walk…she couldn't even stand, so the guards threw her over their shoulders and tossed her back into the cage.

She heard a chuckle from beside her, and she instantly shot up, ignoring the fire in her blood from sitting up too fast.

"Who's th-there?" she croaked, her voice dry and raw from a lack of water and the endless screaming.

There was a scuffle of movement from next to her as a head peeked out from the darkness. Her hair was blonde and short, shooting up from all sides, and her face was sullen with cheeks caving in. The woman scoffed and threw her head back to retain a sense of dignity.

"Kryptonian," she spat, the word sounding vile on her lips. "I should have known."

"Who are you?" Kara asked, shifting to the side to get a better view. She looked like a human, but the clear disdain for her race of people sounded personal. It clicked, and she pulled herself closer to the bars that separated them both. "Daxamite."

The woman nodded and grinned, her chin protruding in pride. "Yes. I was a guard for her majesty Queen Rhea." She glared once more at her. "Until you and your merry band of idiots killed her."

Kara's eyes closed, remembering how she had plead to Mon-El for him to save her. It was a just reward, but she couldn't help but feel guilty for the kill. She had hoped so much that she didn't have to kill her, that she could still somehow be redeemed.

"I'm sorry," Kara opted to say.

She saw the emotions in the woman falter. "A Kryptonian? Apologizing? I thought for sure their arrogance would prevent them from ever admitting when they were wrong."

Kara winced. "I'm…I'm just sorry. I didn't want to."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "But you did, and you will pay."

Kara scoffed at her. "I don't see how much I could 'pay'. I mean we're already trapped with Cadmus. I'm pretty sure we're already suffering."

That seemed to have stumped her, and they sat in silence for a while before something dawned on her.

"How were you not affected by the lead?"

The woman's face fell, almost looking like guilt. "Cadmus has an advanced filtration system. Lex Luthor had constructed this in case he needed to be safe after releasing Kryptonite in the air."

"Of course he did."

The woman paused. "What is your name, Kryptonian?"

"Kara Zor-El," she replied, not caring that she had revealed her name.

"Zor-El? One the ruling houses on Krypton. Of course you would be."

Kara ignored her remark. "And yours?"

"Tera-Zar."

The doors to her cage were opened, and a guard entered Tera-Zar's cell. The man clutched a metal stick in his hand, and grinned at her.

"I told you what would happen if you walked again!" He raised his stick and it began its downward path before Kara yelled.

"Stop it!"

She didn't expect anything to happen, but the guard hesitated, whipping around to face the person who had screamed. He locked eyes with Kara and scowled, moving out of Tera-Zar's cell to Kara's.

"What did you say, alien?"

She pushed herself off the ground, groaning from the pain that built in the middle of her stomach. "I said to stop it."

He nodded as if it were a perfectly reasonable explanation. Almost like he was just going to just leave and never come back, but then the scowl returned and so did the pain. He struck her in the back first, her face colliding with the concrete. Then he moved to kick her in the face until her head felt like a cymbal crashing together in such a way that it was more a competition to see who could be the loudest than actual music. Kara could vaguely hear Tera-Zar from the back of her mind yelling at the guard, but she didn't care. She was trying to survive.

She could feel herself blacking out again before a flash in her mind reminded her. _Fight._

 _I have to fight._ Her body refused, but she pulled herself off the ground, using her legs to push her head into his stomach. It connected, and he stumbled backwards, cursing. His stick dropped, and she moved to kick it away, her head banging from the impact. Her hands were stuck behind her back, and there was no way she could properly fight without their use. The guard recovered and stalked towards her, using his elbow to smack her in the face. He twisted his leg until it smashed into her kneecap, causing her to scream in pain.

She fell to the ground, holding her knee in her hand and trying not to move. The guard merely glared at her and posited his foot above her face. "Nighty night, Kryptonian."

Then…silence.

* * *

 _ **Hour 5**_

 _Alex wasn't here. Alex wasn't coming._ She sucked in a breath and sat up, coughing and sputtering. She felt warm hands on her shoulders push her down until she felt her head laying on something—maybe a lap?

"Shhhh, you're okay," she heard someone whisper.

"lex-Alex?" she tried.

The woman shook her head. "No you big, dumb, Kryptonian. Tera-Zar."

Kara laughed. "I must be dead then because why would you ever help me?"

"You saved my life. You stepped in for me, and I will honor your sacrifice."

Kara rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm going to die anyway, so I might as well make sure no one else dies."

She paused the moment the words left her mouth, and she realized what she had said. _No, Alex was coming._ She had to. She was going to.

"You kept saying Alex and Barry. Who are they?" she asked, not viciously but curiously.

"Alex is my hero," she said, her head spinning. "She's my big sister. Barry….I love him. He's…no one yet, but I love him."

"Ah," she said knowingly. "Complicated?"

She nodded. "Very. He's from a different universe."

"Well, Kara Zor-El. Trouble and complications seem to follow you everywhere, don't they?"

"Yes they do." She tried sitting up before being pushed right back down again. "Why are you in here? How are you in here?"

She grinned. "Well, I convinced them that they needed you alive. Fortunately, on Daxam I was a healer as well as a warrior. I told them I knew how to help you so that Lillian never had to find out."

"I think you and my sister would get along," Kara admitted, imagining her new friend and sister interacting. "She would love you."

"I can't wait to meet her," Tera-Zar said, holding a cool cloth to your forehead. "Best I can figure, you have a concussion, a few broken ribs, and a torn kneecap. You won't be standing anytime soon."

"Just get me under a yellow sun, and I'll heal."

"I'm afraid a yellow sun is hard to come by down here."

"How long have you been down here?" Kara asked, holding her side.

"Ever since the Daxamite invasion. I was caught by a Cadmus operative and stuck here before the lead was released."

"You been here for months?"

Tera-Zar flinched. "Has it been months? I felt like I have been here forever."

"I'm so sorry," Kara replied simply. "You shouldn't have to endure Cadmus's torture."

"I am stronger than I look. Just worry about yourself, Kryptonian."

The gate opened and Tera-Zar positioned herself in front of Kara. They heard the click clacking of Lillian's heels before they saw her standing in front of the door, three guards on her side.

"I heard you have made a friend, Supergirl." She made a motion and two of the guards grabbed her by the arms and legs, hoisting her into their arms. The third one pointed a gun at Tera-Zar.

"Kill her," Lillian said, with a voice that sounded like she was merely asking for a pen.

Kara shook her head. "No! No! I'll do want you want; I won't be difficult. Don't kill her!"

She clicked her tongue and waved her hand, and the guard lowered his hand. "Not yet, then. She might be useful."

Tera-Zar winked at her as they pulled her away. "Good luck. I'm hoping to see your sister soon."

Kara gave her a tired smile and collapsed as the guards lugged her back to the room that had become her hell. They placed her on the table and secured her wrists, the metal skimming the skin that was already raw and blistered.

Lillian smiled widely. "Don't worry, my dear. We're almost done. Then you can go home."

"You would never let me go home."

"No, of course not. Not unless we have a reason. Which I do. I just need to do one more experiment. I want to know just all the effects Kryptonite has on you.

Fear prickled through her facial features, and Lillian stared knowingly. She readjusted her face quickly

"Let's get started, shall we?"

The woman walked over to a lever on the other side of the room and shoved it upwards. The room's luminescent glow switched to emerald green, and Kara twitched from the effect. She squirmed and muttered underneath the burning pain. Lillian observed and jotted notes in her book before flipping it up one more level. The lights increased, and Kara felt her insides jostle around as the green spread through her veins.

Her muscles tensed, and her hands shook. There was a depth of pain the Kryptonite exploited. A depth pulled from her soul and thrown against all the different parts of her body. It was a mineral made specifically to kill her and its molecular composition did exactly that. It reached into her very atoms, her very DNA and ripped it apart.

* * *

 _ **Hour 7**_

It felt like days that she spent under the middle setting. It felt like forever that she was forced to suffer under the radiation of Kryptonite. She didn't see when Lillian snapped the lever to the next and highest setting, but she felt it. She screamed until her lungs and throat were so raw that nothing came out. Kara knew Lillian was jotting down her findings and soon enough they would have everything they needed and she would be dead. There was no way Lillian was going to release her.

She had to live. She had to get to Tera-Zar and get them home. Her tears felt like acid as they dripped down her face. _Alex isn't coming._ Her heart broke because she knew it was true. Alex wasn't coming. She would have been here. She should have been here, but she wasn't and it was up to Kara to save them. But sometimes surviving was so much worse than dying.

It would be a release in death. There would be a freedom in dying. In that moment she understood her mother's decision. She understood why she didn't crawl into the pod with her and get rocketed off to earth. There was freedom in death because you escaped the guilt, the pain, everything that made life horrible. But it took everything that made life wonderful, full, and grand as well. Kara wanted so much to be free. She wanted so much to be rid of all the responsibilities and all of the things she had to be and do.

Alex wasn't coming. Barry wasn't coming. No one was coming for her. For the first time since Metallo had brought her here she felt truly alone. And the realization hurt more than the Kryptonite.

* * *

 _ **Present day- National City, DEO**_

Kara was floating in the air enjoying the sun's rays on her skin. It had been three hours since she had told Barry everything. She still knew she had to find Tera-Zar and save her. She couldn't let her remain under Cadmus's grip.

Barry had been quiet the entire time, listening to her recount the whole experience through tears. It was a painful memory to return to, but she had to tell him. She had to tell someone, and she couldn't imagine someone better than him.

She had been flying for hours, not really understanding where she was going, but when the curved roof came into view, she knew she had gone to the place she would always go when she was feeling lost. To the only person she trusted enough to talk to at the moment.

The balcony was open, the curtains swinging in and out. Kara landed softly in the room, the night sky illuminated by the cluster of lit lamps in the room. She waited until they finally turned around and stood next to her, arms supported by the single bar, to talk.

"You've known, haven't you? This whole time you've known?" she asked.

The woman slid the glasses off her face, holding them in her hand. "Of course I did, Kierra. I spent years with you as my assistant. I feel ridiculous not having recognized it sooner."

Kara blew out a breath. "In your defense the disguise was pretty good."

Cat rolled her eyes. "It was glasses and a slouch, Kierra, not plastic surgery." She turned to look at her, seeing the haunted expression. "Now I know you didn't fly all the way here to take a tour of the White House, so tell me, why are you here?"

"I was taken. Tortured by Cadmus," she choked on the words. "I don't know how to go on when all I remember is what they did."

Cat flinched at the statement, horrified and sick at the prospect. She cleared her throat. "Kara, I can't imagine what you went through. I can't imagine the consequences of what they did to you, but I do know one thing. You are the strongest person I have ever met, and it is your ability to continually see the best in people and rise to the occasion that makes you Supergirl. Now it won't take a day or maybe even a year, but I am certain that you will get past this. You are surrounded by people who love you and who care about you and leaning on them is what will ensure you come out of this victorious. Your heart is what has kept you from becoming your fanatic aunt or the fascist queen, and your heart is what will keep this from killing you from the inside. Of course, this will change you. You had to endure a trauma that most of us can't dream of, but you won't let it control you."

She twisted to look at her former assistant in the eyes. "You're going to be fine. Trust those around you, but trust yourself even more. Your mind is not your prison because it is controlled by your heart—the biggest and most compassionate heart this world has ever known."

Kara let out a breath. She felt like she could finally breath again, free of the constraints of the prison Cadmus had constructed, not only against her body but against her mind as well. Cadmus had no control of her.

"Thank you, Miss Grant. I-I've missed you."

Cat smiled softly. "I have missed you as well, but you have been doing just fine without me. Now, shoo. I imagine you have more things that must be done."

Kara leaned in, giving Cat a hug quickly before launching herself in the air.

"Oh, and Kierra?"

Kara turned around, hovering in place. "Yes, Miss Grant?"

"If you ever feel like making another cross-country trip….my door is always open."

Kara nodded and smiled. She was going to be okay. She was going to save Tera-Zar, and Cadmus no longer had a hold of her. She was stronger than them, and she would be damned before she let them take yet another thing from her. She was coming for Tera-Zar and Cadmus. And Kara was not going to lose.


	19. Chapter 19- Hidden Motives

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Sorry I haven't updated consistently. Life is hard. But anyway, if you haven't already noticed…. this is a major AU. However, despite that, my favorite thing about writing this is hearing what y'all have to say. I know you guys have had some suggestions, and I promise I have them in mind, but if you have other things you want to see just review or DM me on FFnet and I'll try to incorporate them in. This story has been really really thought out to the end, so I have a very big master plan, but I will still try to add some small scenes that y'all want to see. Soooo thanks! P.S. The characters mentioned later in this chapter are all based off the comic book versions except for one which you can probably guess when you get there.

 **Chapter 19**

Barry shifted in his seat, his hands clammy and hot. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so nervous in front of someone. Actually, he _could_. He remembered being 21 and interviewing for his first job at the Central City Police Department—a wide eyed kid, fresh out of college with hopes of snagging a job as a mere assistant to a CSI detective. Now he was almost 29 and still feeling like a baby-faced adolescent in front of National City's police chief.

The man tilted his head at him, examining every movement he made. Barry stilled, feeling vulnerable and exposed underneath his steady eye. Barry cleared his throat and slid his hand over the other. He had a feeling the man was more than a little annoyed at being canceled on the past couple of times, but no matter how much he wanted this job, Kara would always take precedence.

"So, Bartholomew Henry Allen?"

"Barry," he corrected immediately. The chief shot him a withering gaze, and he shut his mouth.

"Bartholomew Allen, I admit I am very impressed by your résumé although a little perplexed. Your prior histories are…vague to say the least. They all lead back to some clandestine government agency that no one I call can confirm or deny, so I ask you this—are you bullshitting me? Or are you as good as you are on paper?"

Barry sucked in a breath. He, Winn, and J'onn had prepared for this. "I'm as good it says, sir. I've been in this line of work for over seven years now."

The chief nodded, pressing his lips together tightly. There was something about this man. An air of confidence but not over-cockiness that compelled the man to believe him. Their last CSI had quit after discovering something particularly disgusting and worrisome on the battlefield after the Daxamite invasion, and it was something he very much wanted to avoid this time around. He felt like this man was not one to get… _unnerved_ by these types of encounters and perhaps had even experienced them before.

"Now, Allen, I have to warn you. This…city, it brings along with it certain aspects of the job that others don't have to deal with. Are you prepared?" he asked, hopeful.

Barry took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm prepared."

The chief grinned slightly. "Good. Mr. Allen, you can start this following Monday. Enjoy your weekend."

They both stood up, Barry reaching for the man's hand and shaking it. "Thank you, sir! I-I—"

"Save it, Mr. Allen. I'm not sure you should be thanking me quite yet."

Barry smirked and turned, trying not to speed away. He looked behind him, checking his surroundings, and pulled out his phone hitting one on speed dial. It rang for approximately one minute before clicking and answering.

"Kara!" he yelled into the phone. He heard a sharp intake of breath and quickly apologized. "Oh sorry! I got the job!" There was a yell and then a few incomprehensible words that he assumed varied around 'that's awesome' and 'I'm so proud of you'.

"Where are you so we can celebrate?" he asked, standing in a secluded alley.

"Oh, uh, I would love to, but I'm at the DEO. There's an escaped alien," she explained.

"That's alright. How about tonight me and you go out for some karaoke, potstickers, and ice cream?"

"Oh, Rao, that sounds awesome. Yeah, let's do that. It's a date."

"Great! I'll pick you up from your place at 5."

They disconnected, and he pocketed his phone. Before he could even take another step, he heard it ring and then vibrate. He pulled it out, confused when he saw the caller id.

"Alex? What's up? Shouldn't you be working?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Barry?

He squinted. "Escaped alien? Rampaging around the DEO?"

"Why the hell would you think there's an escaped alien? It's actually competing to be the most _boring_ day at the DEO since Kara started working here. I was calling to see if you knew where she was?"

"She's not with you?" he asked, worry starting to brew in the pit of his stomach.

"No. Wait, why would you think she would be? And why would you think there was an escaped alien?"

"Kara just called me and said you guys were dealing with an escaped alien. So I guess you aren't."

"No, Allen. We aren't. Where is she?"

"I don't know, Alex! If I did, this conversation would have ended over five sentences ago!"

"I thought she was with you. I called her, and she told me that she was with you at NCPD."

"Why would she lie to both of us?"

"I don't know!" she growled, frustrated. "And she's not wearing her suit, so I can't track her."

Barry paused. "Hold up. You have a _tracker_ on her suit?"

"Focus on what's important, Allen! Where is she?"

"Do you think she had another panic attack and flew off?" Barry asked, the idea worrying him even more.

"No, she sounded fairly lucid on the phone. And after last week, she's been, I don't know… _lighter_. She still won't talk about where she went though."

"Okay. Then where is she?"

* * *

Kara took a deep breath and opened the door. She hated lying to both Barry and Alex, but she knew they would want to come with her for this or more realistically—persuade her not to come. So as much as their presence was calming, it didn't stop the fact that she wanted to be alone for this. It was a situation she had to deal with by herself.

She walked in, seeing the woman poised in front of a whiteboard, marker in hand and scribbling equations.

"Lena?"

The woman turned around, an unreadable expression on her face. Kara felt scared. Scared of being yelled at by her best friend and scared that her secret had ruined the friendship that the two of them had made. Lena had asked for this meeting, and Kara would have felt better had there been any words to construct any kind of context for this gathering. Instead she was forced to live off the plainly placed words and think of the worst thing possible

"Kara," she whispered. She walked towards her, and Kara hesitated, unsure of what was next. What she didn't expect was for the woman to wrap her arms around her and squeeze, engulfing her in a hug. Kara returned it quickly, confused but grateful as her fears melted into relief

"Lena, I-I—"

"Kara, don't. I was angry and paranoid that you never told me because of my Luthor blood, but I don't want to be _them_. I don't want to be my mother. You never told me because you wanted to keep me safe, and the less people who knew would mean less people in danger. I know who Kara is, and that's all who matters. Not Luthors, or Supergirl, or anyone else."

Kara collapsed into Lena, completely astounded and alleviated from the proclamation. They were going to be alright. _They were going to be alright._

"Lena, I can't explain how good it is to hear you say that. I've missed my best friend."

"I've missed you too, Kara." She averted her eyes and pulled the both of them to her sofa on the side of her room. "But there's something I need to tell you."

"What's wrong?" Kara asked, grabbing Lena's hand in hers.

She bit her lip and then looked her in the eye. "My mother's organization has made a reappearance. Apparently her death hasn't killed off Cadmus—it just delayed it. Henshaw and Metallo were spotted in National City at a LuthorCorp site in Alaska."

"No," she murmured, horrified.

"I'm so sorry, Kara. I know what my mother did—what Cadmus did. I'm trying to do everything I can do to get the site contained and on lock down, but my requests are being blocked."

" _Lex_."

"Lex? What about him?" Lena questioned, wondering what he had to do with it.

"It has to be Lex, Lena. He's probably sitting at desk using override codes to block your efforts."

"He's in prison, Kara. I doubt there's much he can do from inside a four-walled cell."

"Lena, he's not in prison. He visited me weeks ago claiming that Krypton was still alive, and that he could bring me back there. He's _free,_ Lena. He's the one who's been doing all of this," Kara cautioned, scanning her eyes for any sense of betrayal or anger. Instead she just saw resigned defeat and exhaustion plaguing her friend's emerald eyes.

"I-of course. Of _course_ it's Lex. Kara, you can't go to the site. They're bound to have synthetic Kryptonite. Enough to kill you." She knew her plea was futile. Lena could see it in Kara's eyes—the ferocity and stubbornness. There was no way she wouldn't _not_ go. It would go against her nature, her innate personality to leave Lex be and hide away.

"No! _No_ , Lena! I'm not going to _hide._ "

Lena closed her eyes, fully expecting the obstinate blonde to refuse such a proposal. But oh how she wished that _for once_ Kara would back down from a fight. That she would enlist the help from her other friends and stay the hell away from the one mineral that could hurt her—that could _kill_ her.

"Kara, you don't need to do this. You don't need to be the hero this time—I'm begging you not to be."

Kara offered a grim smile, shaking her head at the woman. "Lena, I _can't._ Who would I be if I didn't try?"

"You would be a person who's _alive,_ Kara. That's what you would be," Lena argued, seeing the sharp pain flare through her best friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lena. You have to trust me."

"I do trust you! I trust you more than anyone, but you almost _died_ because of my mother. I don't want my brother to complete the task."

"Lena, please. I need you to say you'll trust me."

She grimaced. It was a simple request, but the weight behind such a proclamation felt like the difference between air and the sun. It was _so_ easy for her to say she trusted her. It was incredibly easy, but when it boiled down to it, she just couldn't say she trusted her family to _not_ hurt her. They had such an unbelievable track record between Kara and Superman and then her mother and Lex. Lena's instincts were to cry out _no_ and tie her friend down to keep her from flying off headfirst into danger, but her heart was telling her that Kara would be alright. Her friends wouldn't let her be hurt.

"I trust you, Kara."

The blonde let out a deep breath, her shoulders falling forwards in relief. "Good. That's good. Then I need you to trust me now. I-I-I've been keeping a secret. I don't want anyone else to know, but I need your help."

"What are you talking about?" Lena could feel the panic building in her chest, the pressure exponentially growing. Her mind couldn't help _but_ go to the worst thing possible.

"When I-when I was tortured. I met someone. Her name is Tera-Zar."

"Kryptonian?" Lena whispered.

"No. Daxamite. I need to find her. She was still there when Alex saved me. She had to be moved."

Lena flinched. She knew Kara's personality would never permit her to consider that her friend was dead, but Lena couldn't help but feel like she was. Her mother never would have let her survive especially after Kara escaped.

"Kara—"

"No. _No._ She's not dead, Lena. She can't be. I need you to find her." Her eyes were wide and pleading.

There was an intensity inside the coral blue of her eyes. An intensity that made it easy and plausible to see how vastly different Kara and Supergirl was. Her disguise was more than glasses and a slouch. It was a _split_ in personalities and how she carried herself. The unsureness was a trait that plagued the entirety of Kara Danvers, but as Supergirl there was a gleam in her eye that made you believe—made you truly _hope._ It was the same gleam Lena was subject to now and she had never been good at denying Kara _or_ Supergirl anything when they were looking at her like that.

"I-Kara, please."

"Lena, she's _alive._ I know it."

"Okay, Kara. _Okay_. Where am I looking?"

She sighed, a small grin gracing the creases of her face. "Any LuthorCorp offsite. My best bet is checking the place where Metallo and Henshaw are. They have to know where she is."

"Kara—" she had to try one more time "—you have to consider that she's dead."

"But she's _not._ She's out there somewhere," Kara steeled her face against Lena's, daring her to question her.

"Okay. I'll look. I swear to you, Kara. If she's out there, I _will_ find her," Lena promised.

"Thank you. I'm sorry to drop this on you, but I _need_ to find her."

"It's alright, Kara. It sounds like she made a very big impact on you while you were trapped." She grinned softly, placing her hand over Kara's. "Tell me about her."

Kara's eyes glazed over in a faraway look as she remembered what Tera-Zar had done for her. "She saved my life. A guard attacked me—he was going to _kill_ me. She convinced them to let her into my cell, and she kept me alive until Alex could save me. I owe my life to her."

Lena nodded, immediately feeling indebted to the woman as well. If there was the faintest chance of her being alive, then Lena was going to find her. There was nothing that could persuade her otherwise.

"Then I can't wait to meet her."

Kara's phone buzzed, and she pulled it to her face. There was a string of rings and beeps as a flurry of angry texts from both Alex and Barry filled her phone. Her face scrunched together in guilt, and she stood up, grabbing her bag quickly.

"I'm sorry, Lena. I have to go. Please don't tell Alex or Barry."

The woman nodded slowly. "I won't, but I think you should tell them."

"They can't know. They'll just worry."

"I'll take your word for it. Don't worry. I'll call you when I find her."

Kara mouthed a thank you and threw her arms around her in a brief hug. She leapt through the window, launching herself upwards to avoid curious eyes drifting up. Her phone rang once more, and she answered it, giving a shy hello.

"Heeeeey, Barry! How'd the interview go?" she asked innocently.

"It went well. In fact, it went so well that I set up a date with my girlfriend to celebrate."

Kara's face flushed in guilt, her cheeks lightening with a tint of pink. "Rao, I'm late, aren't I?"

"Just a little bit."

"I'm really sorry, Barry. It just slipped my mind!"

"Kara, I'm not really worried about our date. I'm worried about you. Alex and I realized you _lied_ to both of us. Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Barry. I promise. I just had to take care of something. I'm sorry I lied to both of you," she replied, hoping that it would halt the questions and satisfy him.

There was a pause on the other end.

"Barry?"

"I'm here, Kara. You're fine?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Then I trust you. Are we going to be able to at least salvage our date? I'm fine dining in and watching a movie."

She tilted her head, hovering over the window of her apartment. "Potstickers and ice cream?"

"Of course."

"Yes!" She pushed herself through the window, landing lightly on her feet. Barry turned around, surprised, phone pressed tightly to his ear.

He grinned and let the phone drop, pulling her in a firm hug. "Just so you know—I'm here whenever you want to talk about your lie."

Kara pulled backwards and punched him lightly in the arm causing him to fall back onto the couch. "Hey, jerk. It was important!"

He laughed, pulling on her arm to make her collapse back onto the couch with him. "I'm sure it was, but either way I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Barry. I appreciate it." The two leaned in, pressing their lips together before pulling back.

"So, you got the job?" Kara prompted.

He grinned at her and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "I did. The guy was scary as hell, but I think he was impressed by my résumé. Winn did a good job making me look way better than I actually am."

"Uh, excuse me. I'm positive Winn only put the truth. You're the best forensic scientist across both earths. NCPD is lucky to have you on the force."

He scoffed at her. "I didn't really get that impression. I got more of the I'm-skeptical-but-there-is-no-one-else kind of vibe from him. Apparently, the last guy quit due to seeing something happen during the Daxamite invasion."

Kara winced, pressing her face into her hands. "Yeah that wasn't for the faint of heart. Rhea and her army would have slaughtered the entire city if it weren't for the device Lena and Winn made."

"And you," he added, trying to look her in the eyes.

"Yeah," she said half-heartedly. "Is it wrong to wonder what would have happened if I hadn't pressed the button? If I let her army run rampant and let Mon-El stay?"

He shook his head. "No. Not at all. I told you about the time I ran back in time, right?"

"Not in many details."

"Well, after I lost my dad I ran back in time and saved my mom. I was lost, and I was broken, and I thought that I couldn't take anymore—I _knew_ I couldn't. So, I changed the timeline and created an alternate world where my mother was alive, my father was alive, and I thought it was perfect. It was my utopia with everything and everyone that I thought I needed in my life."

"But it wasn't?" Kara asked.

"No, of course not. Kara, these things happen to us to bring us to better moments. In our finite minds we can't comprehend the lengths to which the universe will go to _make_ things happen because at the end of the day the bad things that happen—the torture, the loss, the pain—teach us to do things differently. Letting the Daxamites parade throughout the city was the wrong call. Millions of people would have died, and I don't think you could have lived with yourself if that happened. Do you think you would have made the decision you did if Krypton would have been the one to suffer?"

"No," she admitted. "I don't think I could've done it."

"The loss of your planet prevented the loss of National City and then perhaps the world. You convinced yourself that you wouldn't lose another one and it's because of that that you chose to release the lead. You would have chosen to release Kryptonite had that have been the choice. Your crucibles are what have made you the hero you are today. I couldn't have made the decision you did. I _didn't._ "

She smiled thoughtfully and scooted the rest of her body so that her head could rest on his chest. "How are you so wise?"

"Well I have been a superhero longer than you have, so that has to count for something, right? I'm not invincible, but I have seniority."

Kara laughed and wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the feeling of being close and free without the burden of Cadmus or another city villain looming over her mind. It was a serenity that she hadn't felt in a long time, and one she wanted to keep for the rest of her life.

* * *

Tera-Zar was _pissed._ She heard the shots go off...a month ago? Two months? It was hard to keep track of time where she was—a dark cellar complete with her very own hole in the middle of the ground leading to a nice and cold death on the other side. It was her bathroom, though she wasn't sure how anyone could ever consider that fishing hole a _bathroom._ She couldn't complain though. She was fairly certain that they were only keeping her alive out of a scientific necessity or rather bait.

She really hoped it was bait.

To god, Rao, Buddha, anyone, she hoped it was bait. The gunshots had gone off, and Tera-Zar had screamed. It had been at least a month and she was forced to remember that Kara had been taken an hour before she heard the gunshots. An _hour_. She'd been through all of the excuses, convincing herself that people died her all the time. It was practically an every other day occurrence, but then she never returned. Kara _never returned._ And thirty minutes later everyone was picked up and shipped to another secluded area where the sun never shined and there were holes in the floor.

Tera-Zar had considered throwing herself through her pissing hole again, but the first time had resulted in her pulling herself up and sputtering up frozen water that had locked her muscles in place. While she couldn't exactly _feel_ the effects of a _minor_ gust of cold air, anything in extreme she definitely felt. Oh, and she couldn't breathe underwater. It seemed like a small issue that she was sure she could figure out once she swam far enough and reached land, but her lungs burned, and she was forced to resurface through the same hole she had left. It was humiliating to see the wry grins that graced her guards' faces when they saw her soaking wet and shivering, so she resolved to use that as a last measure should she become truly desperate.

And she was afraid she was steadily reaching 'truly desperate'.

Her plan had been simple: Save Supergirl. Then she got caught up in the Daxamite invasion, taken by Cadmus, and stuck in a cellar that she assumed was across the world. At first, she felt like calling for help, but she reached an empty headquarters that no one answering. Then Kara appeared—disheveled and nearly dead, and Tera-Zar was certain that this was her chance. In fact, she was positive she could save them both and then complete her mission, but it all went to hell in a way that she was all too familiar with. Her communication device was taken and probably broken into a billion tiny bits, and Kara had vanished, leaving Tera-Zar to come up with a relatively intelligent plan to get out of this frozen hell hole.

At least she still had the pissing hole plan.

She hadn't anticipated having to bow to the captivity of Cadmus and Lillian Luthor, who thankfully, seemed to have disappeared. She didn't plan on any of this. All Tera-Zar wanted was to leave, complete her mission, and save the world. It seemed so simple but the few miscalculations that they had had turned into major hurdles that she wasn't sure she could jump by herself.

It was a circle of misfortune that she was trapped in, and it was angering her by the second. There were guards posted outside her cell were armed with her lovely weakness of lead—the element with which guns perpetuated. It was more than inconvenient. It was downright bad luck.

The only thing she was able to notice was the fact that less and less guards were posted outside her cell each week. Henshaw and the green robot roamed often, looking harried and overworked and calling them to the main room. It made her think that the two were coming up with something _big—_ building something big. If it was what she thought it was, then she needed to get out _now._ Now and fast or else she would fail and the whole world would crumple underneath her incompetence. She couldn't figure out what she had to do or how she could even manage to escape short of taking another dive and hoping she wouldn't drown again.

The door to her cell swung open and Henshaw stomped through, commanding the guards to leave and grabbing her by her neck. The man's eye was lit and dangerously close to her face.

"Where is it?" he demanded.

She grimaced as she shifted her body, trying to open her windpipe to allow air to flow through. "You're going to have to be a little more specific."

"The DEO!" he roared, shaking her hard.

She yelped and extended her arms to push his face, her hands landing on empty air. "Yo-you have to p-put me down."

Her growled and pressed her against the wall, allowing the surface to take some of the pressure off her neck.

"How the hell would I know?" she responded, the resurgence of air fueling her natural snark.

"Supergirl told you. She told you where the DEO was located, didn't she?"

"If she did then you would have better luck removing your cyber eye than getting me to tell you."

He slammed her against the wall, causing her to yell.

"Yeah, that's still not going to make me tell you. And what's wrong? The DEO finally get you back for killing Supergirl?" she goaded. If anything, she would find out if Kara had survived. She had to know.

"No, that _alien_ killed her!"

Tera-Zar laughed. "That's funny. It's a good joke. Supergirl _never_ kills."

"Tell me!" he commanded.

"Nope, sorry." She braced herself for another attack.

The cyborg threw her to the ground, pressing his foot against her trachea. "You're going to die!"

Tera-Zar eyed the open door behind him. "Not today, I won't."

She twisted his foot, causing him to tense and fall to the ground. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet and dove for the door. She managed to tuck and roll outside the cage and kick the door shut with her heel. Tera-Zar heard a bang for what she presumed to be him slamming his body into the metal and stood.

The cyborg shook the bars, his eye lighting up as he beamed the metal. It bounced back and shot him in the chest, propelling him backwards. He fell on his back and scampered back towards her, arms reaching.

"Let me out, alien!" he screamed, slamming his palms onto the bars.

"Sorry, Henshaw. And," she said, gripping the metal, "this is Nth Metal. No use trying to break out."

Tera-Zar turned on her heels and ran, trying to be strategic but probably looking like a bat out of hell. She twisted down a different hallway and slowed to a mere fast walk. She could barely hear the conversations of a few soldiers down the corridor.

"-oss has some big machine lined up. Says it's supposed to let us to travel through breaches to different worlds or something. You know I don't got the science of it."

"Seriously? That's so cool, man. Think they'll pick me to do some exploring? I could name the planet."

"Hell, no. They ain't gonna pick us to do nothing. We're the grunts. We hold down the fort."

Tera-Zar rolled her eyes. There was a click as she felt a gun shoved into the small of her back. She stiffened.

"What are you doing out of your cage? Henshaw told me he was going to kill you."

She recognized the deep voice and winced. Of course big green robot was patrolling the halls. _Of course,_ he was. He dragged her to the main room where a machine the size of a shed sat in a hanger. It had poles on either side with what looked like a hamster wheel in between. It was a circular gate that she supposed would allow someone to stand as they got beamed to wherever they were trying to go.

"You will be the first to try it."

Tera-Zar shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't seem like that bad of an idea to get thrown onto a different earth."

"This isn't a portal, Daxamite. This machine is going to kill you."

Tera-Zar felt a stone drop in her stomach. It was numbing to hear point blank that you were going to die and know that no one was coming to save you. It was numbing and terrifying, but she would be damned before she let her fear show in front of this man, robot thing.

"Then I guess I'm going to die."

There was a flash and a shattering of glass as a blur whipped through the room. Blue and red spiraled throughout the hanger knocking scientists and guards unconscious. Metallo thrusted her into the machine, pressing several buttons before smacking a very large one next to the pad. The machine began to whir, and she barely managed to keep track of the zooming figures in the room. She saw Metallo fall and then a hand pressed against the gate.

" _Kara_?"

* * *

 _ **1 Hour Prior**_

Kara laughed and poked Barry's stomach with her finger.

"I'm serious, Allen. You can't have my potsickers! Eat your own!"

"Even though I paid for it?"

"Uh, that money was freely given by J'onn so I guess these belong to him."

"Cool," he said, standing up with the bag of food in his arms. "Then we should give these to him."

Kara whipped her head around to him and gasped, horrified. " _No._ "

She sped over to him and ripped the bag out of his hands, depositing it on the couch. She returned a second later, arms crossed over her chest.

"No more for you."

Barry inched closer to her, eyebrows wagging. "Mhmm. What if I can convince you otherswise?"

She scoffed. "Nope."

He grabbed her by the waist and pushed his lips onto hers. The two wrapped their arms around each other, and he pressed her against the wall. She smiled against his lips.

"Still no."

"I'm not done."

He leaned in again, the phone ringing before he could continue. Kara groaned and slipped out from under his arms.

"You should just let it go to voicemail!" he called after her.

"I can't! It might be something important." She answered her phone quickly.

"Hello?"

"Kara, I think you should go. I did some more digging and there are some very big energy depletions coming from the site. Cadmus is doing something big. If your friend is anywhere, it's there. The readings are steadily increasing. It's now or never. I don't think you'll get another chance."

"Thank you so much, Lena! I'm on my way."

"Kara, please don't go by yourself. I can't tell what they're making, but from the amount of power they're drawing, I have to assume it's something that can hurt you."

"Okay, I won't. I promise."

Kara ended the call just as Alex entered, looking angry and annoyed. Her countenance dropped as soon as she saw Kara, and she ran to give her a hug.

"Kara? Where have you been? I called Barry, and I was—"

"Alex, not right now. I need your help. And yours," she said quickly, shooting a glance at Barry.

"What's wrong?" both asked.

"Okay, short version, just don't kill me. When I was tortured I met a woman named Tera-Zar. She saved my life, and this morning I went to Lena to try and get her help to find her. Lena found out that there is an offshore Cadmus site in Alaska. I need to go there, but I need your help."

"Wait, Lena like the woman-who-found-out-your-secret-and-might-be-playing-you Lena?" Barry clarified.

"I'm in," Alex said, pulling her suit out of her backpack. "Let's go."

"Hold on, am I the only one who's a little concerned about this? I mean..." Barry tried.

"Barry, _please._ I don't have time. I swear I'll explain it to you when we get back, but for now we have to go."

He nodded. He had to trust her. "Okay. Let's go. I think I can run there. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Follow me. I'll take Alex. When we get there, we should split up and cover more ground. Alex, you can go after Henshaw, Barry you can go after Metallo, and I will look for Tera-Zar. Sound good?"

The other two nodded, and Kara grinned as Alex quickly changed and placed her mask on her face. She was proud to see the crest of her house emblazoned on the shoulder of her sister's suit. It was the final nail that connected the two of them as family, and the reason why Kara had insisted on having it placed there anyways. She'd have to come up with a way to have Barry wear it too.

"Then let's go."

* * *

"Kara?" Tera-Zar asked, sure her eyes were fooling her. She heard a muffled cry on the other end and saw her fist as it slammed into the cage again and again.

"Kara, stop! You won't break through!" she yelled. Her eyes wandered and caught a glimpse of a metal object under a microscope. Her mouth gaped, and she pointed hurriedly to it. "Kara, you have to get me that! Get me _that_!"

The woman squinted her eyes before nodding and zooming over to grab it. She cradled it in her hand, staring at it before moving to look at her. Tera-Zar could see the look in her eyes—confusion, betrayal. It hurt like hell, but she needed to get it.

"Please, Kara, I need it!"

Kara turned over her shoulder, making eye contact with Barry. "Flash! I need your help!"

The man zoomed over to her quickly, seeing the ring in her hand. "What?"

"Can you phase through and give this to her?"

She saw the countdown on the pad. _Five minutes left_.

"I can."

He took the ring from her hand and vibrated quickly. His body shifted through the cage and then solidified as he dropped the piece of metal into her hand. She slipped it onto her finger and twisted the logo 45 degrees.

"What is that?"

"It's a ring, and hopefully our way out of here."

The two could feel the shaking as the countdown steadily declined and as Kara continued pounding on the gate. Barry saw Alex enter from the doorway across the room, carting an alien gun with her. She nodded for Kara to step back and fired the weapon at the cage, the energy ricocheting off and towards the other side of the wall.

"Tera-Zar, I can't break through this!"

The woman smiled softly. "It's okay, Kara." She turned towards Barry, shoving him towards the other side. "Get out. Now. I don't want you caught up in the explosion. You have to go, Mr. Allen."

"How do yo—"

"Kara told me about you." She smiled and nodded towards Alex. "And she told me about you. Rao, it's an honor to meet all three of you. I've heard stores."

"Tera-Zar, please, I'll get you out," Kara pleaded.

"It's okay."

Lightning flashed through his eyes, and he phased through the gate. _Three minutes left._ He sped through the lab, building speed quickly. He could see the pain in Kara's eyes and in Tera-Zar's. He would build speed. He would build speed and throw a million lightning bolts at the cage until she was free.

"You have to get out of here," she yelled, "the world needs Supergirl!"

Kara shook her head, tears brimming. She slammed her fists again and again, switching to heat vision and pouring every frustration and helpless feeling into her attack. The outpour of energy seeped into her cells, depleting the solar energy stored in the bonds of her atoms. Alex could feel the heat from the exertion, starting to sweat and burn even being a few feet away. Her sister fell to her knees in a heap, tears streaming down her face as the heat vision fizzled out and the redness from her eyes disappeared to reveal the crystal blue of her irises.

"Kara, we have to go," Alex insisted, trying to pull her sister away from the ground.

"No," she whispered. " _No._ "

"Kara, now!" Alex demanded. She found it too easy as she yanked her sister from the ground and realized that Kara had blown out her powers from the blast. She was human. "Kara, you lost your powers. There's nothing more to do! If we don't leave right now, we'll _die_! _You'll die_!"

Kara only shook her head as she grasped at the bars of the cage and watched Barry run around in circles throwing lightning at the metal prison. Alex turned to look at the clock. _Fifteen seconds._ She pulled her sister into a hug, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing for the explosion.

The blast seemed to happen in slow-motion, and for Barry, it _did._ He saw the parts of the shrapnel blow outwards. He saw the force shove everything away, and most of all, he saw the glowing blue-white circle grow from in the middle. His scarlet streak trailing behind him combined with whatever was mixed in the explosion, and the force threw all four people and the mounds of shrapnel towards it. He saw a piece of the cage impale Alex in the side, another smack Kara in the face, and the brunt crush into Tera-Zar. He managed to angle himself to land underneath Kara and hopefully take the majority of the fall.

They tumbled out on the other side, the breach closing behind them and leaving them stranded in wherever they were. He pulled Kara close to him, not feeling her move. He flipped her over, taking off his mask, and seeing blood running down her head where the piece of shrapnel had smacked against her forehead. There was a large gash covered by wisps of blonde hair. Barry gently pushed the hair out of the way and set her on the ground, moving to check the others. Alex was grunting as she sat up, a large piece of metal protruding from the side of her body. She sucked in a deep breath as she attempted to move it herself.

If Kara and Alex looked beat, Tera-Zar looked like the embodiment of death. Her skin was paper pale with cuts ranging from several depths covering the entirety of her body. Her body just looked _broken._

"Where are we, Barry?" Alex asked, crawling to Kara.

"I don't know," he said slowly. The buildings didn't look like buildings from National City or rather any city in the United States or the world. They were constructed as if... _years_ into the future. There were strange buildings shaped in strange ways that were simply unprecedented.

"It looks... _futuristic._ "

Alex looked around, examining each brick and stone and placement. "Tell me you didn't time travel. And then bring us with you."

"Pretty sure I didn't do this on my own."

Kara jolted awake, gasping and hands swinging to grab the nearest object. Her hands clutched Barry's hand. She winced and lifted her hand, touching her forehead and bringing it away with large traces of blood.

"Did I blow out my powers?"

Alex nodded. "Yep. And lucky for us we're in an unknown time with our biggest asset incapacitated, me with a-a giant _pole_ sticking outside of me, and your friend's not looking so good."

Kara's eyes widened, and she inched towards Tera-Zar. " _No."_

Alex stiffened from beside her. "I'm so sorry, Kara."

"She's not dead. We need to find her help."

"Uh, guys," Barry called, moving his arm to shield Kara. "Incoming. Kara, stay behind me."

A man with short black hair and a purple and black suit landed softly on the ground, three others behind him. The woman had short blonde hair and a red and white suit with what looked like the emblem of a planet in the center of her chest. The other man had roguishly long red hair and an annoying smirk displayed on a face full of freckles. His suit was sleeveless but blue and white with yellow lightning flashing from the underneath his armpits towards his chest.

But it was the last man who landed that caught his attention. It was the way he stared at Kara—with longing and desire and loss swirling around in his face. He had a dark brown beard covering the bottom half of his face and short, layered hair piled on the top of his head. His eyes were hardened but kind, but what struck Barry the most was his suit. It seemed like the inverse of Kara's Supergirl suit—at least her previous one before it was destroyed, and Cisco had made her the new one she was wearing now. His was a red body with a blue cape that went over his shoulders. While there was no House of El crest, there was a shadow of the shape where it was on Kara's. The whole look was completed with blue boots and a ring that all four plus Tera-Zar had. The ring had an indented _L_ and an...asteroid? A meteor?

The man landed softly, slowly approaching Kara. Barry stood up, blocking his view.

"Hey! Get away from her!" he said, his fists clenching in anticipation. He would kill this man if he had to.

"I don't mean any harm. We are just responding to the distress call given by Laurel." The other three approached the fallen woman quickly and carefully, examining the extent of her injuries.

"She's not looking good, Valor. We need to get her back," the red-haired man said, moving to pick her up.

"Laurel?"

"Yes," he said, pointing towards Tera-Zar. "Laurel Gand. Andromeda. Who are you?" The man proceeded to try and move past Barry before he shoved him backwards.

"Hey! I said get away from her."

"I'm afraid being the protectors of the universe gives me the right to see whoever I want to see. Step aside or else I'll have the United Planets throw you in a _cell_."

Barry laughed, his hand vibrating slightly behind his back. "I'd like to see them try." He moved to launch at him before Kara pulled him backwards. Alex stood and grabbed Kara's hand, mouth agape.

"Kara, what are you doing?"

"Barry, stop. This is-this...it's _Mon-El_ ," she said, choking on her words.

His hand dropped to his side, and his heart plunged.

"Mon-El?"

Mon-El. Kara's first love. The man she was forced to rocket into space. The man who became a hero. The one she trained for a year. Mon-El. The man she thought was _dead_ for months. _That_ Mon-El.

Barry couldn't help the thumping in his chest or the pounding in his head as this realization came to him with the weight of the world bearing down on his heart. How could he compete? Even looking at the two of them staring at each other was enough to shatter his resolve and strike fear and jealousy into the very cells of his being.

The two of them embraced, and Alex slipped her hand onto his shoulder, squeezing—something that he was sure was supposed to be comforting but felt more like a death sentence. They released each other after what seemed like hours, and Barry felt a pathetically jealous need to wrap his arms around her protectively.

"Oh my gosh, Mon-El, I thought you were _dead._ "

He gave a grim smile. "No, Kara. You _saved_ me. I was sent through a wormhole that placed me in the thirty-first century."

Alex gulped. "Wait. You're saying we're in the _thirty-first century_?"

"Yes. And I'm sorry, but you can't leave."


	20. Chapter 20- Displaced

**A/N:** Hey guys! Hoped you enjoyed the last chapter. For convenience in this story, Laurel Gand will have no blood relation to Mon-El, and as a reminder, only four months has passed which means only four years for Mon-El, so no marriage to Imra yet. He's still in the phase of wanting to return to Kara. Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following!

 **Chapter 20**

 _"Yes. And I'm sorry, but you can't leave."_

Kara was sitting in a room in the headquarters of whatever the group of heroes here was called. She was waiting for Alex and Tera-Zar, or rather, _Laurel_ to come out of surgery, and she was still trying to come to grips with the past 12 hours of her life. To find her friend, the woman who saved her life, and then realize she had been lying to her had been a kick to the throat. But finding out that her friend was from the same time _Mon-El_ had landed felt like a kick and then a throw and then a shove off a cliff.

She wasn't sure how to deal with this—with Mon-El and Laurel and not being able to leave the 31st Century for whatever reason. It all seemed like the air was suffocating and forcing the air out of her lungs. Her powers still hadn't returned and thinking about this just managed to increase the perpetual ringing in her head.

The doctor entered the room, and Kara raised her eyebrows. The doctor was short and purple with horns protruding from the top of his head. His face was pinched like he had just taken a bite of grapefruit. He was wearing a green robe with gold accents around the neck, wrists, waist, and ankles.

He turned towards the Kryptonian, a slight smile on his face. "I have to admit that it is quite the honor to meet you in person, Kara Zor-El. I'm Doctor Gym'll, the Legionnaires designated medicinal guide even though half the time they ignore me anyways and go and break more of their bones."

"Uh," Kara tried.

"I'm sure you'll be different. You're a _legend._ The _Supergirl_. Indestructible and awe-inspiring—Earth's _greatest_ hero."

"Um."

"Well, Miss Zor-El? Supergirl? Miss Supergirl?"

"Kara is fine, Doctor Gym'll."

"Well, Kara. From the scan we did over your body, I saw some very peculiar things. Your brain for one has a significant central nervous disorder that _should_ cause chronic migraines. Do you get migraines often?"

The woman nodded slowly.

"Another scan revealed a misalignment of your kneecap that should have been healed with the presence of the yellow sun of earth. However, the solution to rebreak your knee to align has failed simulations. It would seem that your kneecap has shifted to accommodate the position it's in and rebreaking would not fix the problem. What's most peculiar is the appearance of an unknown substance that bears a striking resemblance to Kryptonite. However, the substance refuses to flush from your body and has attached itself to the chemical bonds in your brain and your knee. My hypothesis is that this substance is what is preventing your body to heal those certain parts."

Kara wanted to deny it, but it was true. She had learned to hide the headaches well, opting to either quickly leave or plaster on a fake face and ride it out. Her limp was harder, Alex and Barry always taking notice and hovering nearby. Usually she managed to float a half an inch off the ground and it would take the pressure off without alerting those around her that she was in pain. However, now that her powers were gone, she was afraid that everything she tried to hide would come back with a vengeance and encourage more overprotectiveness from both Barry and Alex.

"Yeah. What you're picking up is Cyan Kryptonite. There was an encounter that I had a few months back that had... _damaged_ me."

Doctor Gym'll nodded, scribbling more notes in his book. "Well, Kara. When you fell out of the breach a piece of shrapnel scraped against your forehead. The incision was fairly deep, but it should heal when you get your powers back. As far as I can tell, the Cyan Kryptonite is only bonded to the aforementioned spots. It's not Gold Kryptonite, so there is potential for it to fade over an extended amount of time. However, anything else will heal properly. Until then I suggest plenty of rest and to keep anything off the infected area. I have a salve that should close the wound within the week."

"Thank you, doctor. Do you have any information on my sister? Or on Ter-I mean Laurel?"

"The bar has been successfully removed from your sister's side. Any risk of infection has been neutralized, and with the Legion's technology available, she should make a full recovery in the next week and a half. Miss Gand however faced a collapsed lung from a puncture made by a stray piece of shrapnel. We entered a chest tube, and surgery should clean up the holes that were made. I'm optimistic that she will make a full recovery within the next two weeks if not earlier. You were all quite lucky to avoid any debilitating injuries."

Kara nodded, relieved that everyone would be alright. Now all she had to was figure out why the hell she was being forced to stay here.

* * *

Barry Allen was seething. He was standing, arms crossed, trying to remain calm and school his features. He didn't _want_ to be the jealous boyfriend, but something about Kara made him want to be. To tell the world that she was his, and they couldn't have her. _Especially_ this man in front of him who had all the stage presence that Supergirl had and then some. This wasn't the man he heard stories of—immature, frat boy, shirking responsibility and being a hindrance. This was a man who had years to mature and become a leader, the leader of this _team._ He had said they called themselves the Legion of Superheroes. They were endorsed by the United Planets which was essentially this century's version on the United Nations and pretty much gave them free reign to do whatever the hell they wanted.

It was actually _really_ annoying. He felt inadequate, irrelevant, and frankly, _lame_ in front of this man. He was so afraid that Kara was going to get caught up her old feelings, in her past love, and realize that she wanted to stay here with _him_. He had a feeling in his stomach that she was _supposed_ to stay here. That she _would_ , and it scared him. More than anything.

"So, you're Mon-El." It wasn't a question. It was merely a statement clarifying the position he held right now.

"I am."

"Kara's told me a lot about you," he said, scanning his eyes for any reaction.

He laughed, his shoulders shaking as his eyes seemed to reminisce. "I'm sure it was _all_ bad. I wasn't exactly a person to be... _proud_ of when I was there."

"Kara seemed to think you were. She said that you became a hero."

"That's...that means a lot to me. Everything I became, everything I was, was all because of what she taught me," Mon-El said, his voice soft.

"She has that effect."

Mon-El tilted his head at him. "So, you're her...um, boyfriend?"

Barry recognized the hope in his voice. The distinct lift in his voice that he didn't want them to be together, and he couldn't help but feel a burst of pride from hearing someone else say it, especially _him._

"Yeah. I am," he said. _And you can't have her,_ he wanted to add.

"That's-uh-that's good, that she-uh found someone." The pain was too evident in the folds of his face.

Barry heard that pain in his voice, and he felt a need to reassure him that Kara didn't just _move on._ He wasn't this man's biggest fan, but he wasn't going to be an ass. He didn't want to negate either of their pain just because he and Kara were together.

"She thinks about you all the time. She shut herself off from everyone for months after she sent you away."

Mon-El winced. "I-I never wanted her to-I'm just glad she found someone."

"Have you?" He knew he shouldn't have asked, but he couldn't help himself.

The man shook his head. "No. There's been no one except Kara."

Barry felt his heart contract. "Oh. I'm sorry." It wasn't explainable, but he felt _guilty_.

"It's okay. There's just no one that can, uh, there's just no one that seems _right_ after being with her."

Barry opened his mouth to say something, but Kara entered the room, bandage gauze wrapped around her head. Her face was annoyed, and she kept trying to adjust her hair before realizing that the bandage was prohibiting any movement. Barry slowly walked to her, placing his hands on her cheeks to move her head.

"Wow, I'm loving this new style."

She glared at him. "I look like Frankenstein's monster."

"Eh. Maybe. Powers not back?"

"No. Last time they came back because James fell down an elevator shaft, so unless you feel like throwing yourself off the side of the building, I'm afraid they'll just come back when they feel like it."

Kara twisted to look at Mon-El who was trying his best to melt into the background. She knew that Barry was feeling insecure, and she wanted to reassure him, but at the same time she wanted to speak to Mon-El alone. She sighed. Barry would have to trust her.

"Hey, Barry. Can I speak with Mon-El alone, please?"

She saw the slight pain his eyes before he nodded and moved to leave. She grabbed his arm and pressed her lips to his cheek. The man smiled sweetly, the kiss relieving some of the wrinkles around his eyes, and then spun around to leave.

Kara could feel the heaviness around her face as she stared at Mon-El. She saw many differences in him. The hair, the beard, the sureness, the suit, and the distinct air of authority, but she also saw so much of her Mon-El in him. The twinkle around his eyes, the unique lift of the sides of his lips as he smiled, and the way his eyes were always on her—searching and alerting to her every need, just like when they had been together.

"You've changed. I see the suit's a new addition. Winn was always so upset that he never got to make your suit after you had promised him that he would be able to."

"Well, I mean, this one was based off yours, so in a way he did."

Kara grinned slightly. "You based your suit after mine?"

"Yeah. The whole _Legion_ is based off you," he corrected.

Her eyes widened. "Really? Why?"

"I told you I would be the man you always believed I could be, so when we made the legion we all chose you as our example. You were the example of what we could be, what we all _wanted_ to be. You were the inspiration we all chose, that _I_ chose."

Kara didn't know what to say. She didn't really think there was anything she could say short of understating it and saying 'thanks'. It was an honor to be the inspiration for a future congregation of earth's heroes. An honor that she never even thought she would have.

"I wanted to tell you. I wanted to come and tell you I was still alive. I just couldn't figure out how to get back."

She shook her head. "It's okay. You were adjusting. You were moving on."

" _No._ I was pathetic, and I was lost. For years after I landed, I only tried to get back. You wouldn't have been proud of me."

Kara stepped closer, grabbing his hand. " _Years_?"

"It's been years, Kara." He said it as if he thought that years had passed for her as well. As if it was obvious. "Has it not been—?"

"Mon-El, it's been four _months."_

"That's not possible," he said, scrunching his face in confusion. "Its been _four years."_

Kara's mouth fell open. "No, Mon-El. Time must have moved differently for both of us."

He cleared his throat. "It...I guess it doesn't matter. What's happened, happened. I-I, Kara, I wish I could have come back. I wanted to come back." His eyes flickered, emotions swiping past faster than she could process. Fear. Regret. Longing. Each one there. Each one struggling to stay behind crystal blue eyes.

Kara slid her hands to his face, cupping his cheeks. "Mon-El, you've become a leader, a hero. You belong here with your team. I'm so sorry that I made you, that I _banished_ you here, but I can see that you've made such a difference. You're saving lives. You're being the man I always knew you could be."

Mon-El closed his eyes, and Kara leaned forward to brush her lips across his cheek.

"I'm _so_ proud of you."

* * *

Barry felt anxious and worried as soon as he left the room. His brain was telling him to leave, to respect their privacy, but his heart was screaming at him to stay and listen to their conversation. He wanted to trust her, but paranoia was strong and it was fierce. He didn't want to leave them alone because he was afraid of losing her.

 _No._

He would trust her. He would not be that person. He would not be that boyfriend. Barry cruised around their HQ, wandering and trying to take his mind of the conversation that was happening rooms away.

He ended up in a lounging area with chairs and sofas and plopped onto the nearest one. His knee was jiggling and looked inhumanely fast to anyone looking. There was a click and then a woman walked in—platinum hair and a white body suit that seemed to accentuate every feature of her body. It was revealing, and he found himself immediately looking away. The woman gasped and smiled, running over to him.

"The Flash?" Her face was wide and surprised if not a little awestruck.

"Yeah. Who are you?" He was wary of all these people walking around, and he wasn't quite sure that he could trust everyone yet.

"Nura Nal. Oh my gosh, it's so cool to meet you!" She grabbed his hand and started shaking it profusely.

"Uh, thanks?"

"I mean both the Flash and Supergirl! I can't even imagine it! I shouldn't be surprised, I mean I saw this coming, but it's still so awesome that I get to meet you in person!"

"Wait, you saw this coming?"

"Well, yeah. But it's just so cool. Two founding members of the Justice League! Right here!"

"Justice League?" He was trying to keep up, but it was difficult with the woman speaking a mile a minute and wearing something that didn't seem to even qualify as clothes and seemed more like a stripper's outfit.

"Oh, I guess you wouldn't know. I'm Dream Girl. I can see into the future through my dreams and visions. Get it?"

"Yeah. So, you're clairvoyant?" He asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. About a little less than a year ago, I saw Supergirl falling from the sky and landing in the future. Then I had more visions about her where she stayed here, and then helped us, and even joined the Legion. It was amazing."

Barry paused on her words, feeling the panic in his chest increase exponentially. "Wait, she stayed here?"

"Yeah, except a few months ago, I started seeing something different. Instead of Supergirl falling here by herself and staying, I saw her falling with three other people and leaving. I was so disappointed until I saw that it was _Alex Danvers_ and _Barry Allen_ falling with her."

He was still reeling from all the information that this woman was piling onto him. Kara was _supposed_ to stay. 'Until months ago,' meant when he traveled to Earth-38 to save her. Like traveling in time, he changed the future. He changed what was supposed to happen because hopping earths and time traveling weren't _supposed_ to happen. They were anomalies just like the speed force, just like him. He changed her future of staying _here._ With them, with _him._

"Why did she stay?" he asked, his voice a mere whisper.

"What do you mean? She stayed for Mon-El, of course. The big man himself. He told us that he was going to find to find a way back to her. He told us he loved her. For years when he got here, he wouldn't even look at anyone else, the only person he even remotely opened up to were Laurel and Imra, but eventually just Imra when we sent Laurel on the mission. In my visions I saw them together and then she decided to stay."

He felt like his heart was shattering into a thousand pieces. He didn't know how he was supposed to take this. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel like the love of her life when the alternative was _him_ who she would have _stayed_ for.

"Hey, you okay? You look sick. I should take you to Gym'll. Guy's a stickler, but he's good. Let's go," she said, grabbing his arm.

He shook his arm out her grasp. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

The door clicked open once more, and Alex walked in, limping slightly with a bandage wrapped around her stomach. She squinted at Barry's pale complexion and walked over, eyeing the strange woman next to him.

"Hey, who are you?" she asked the woman, surprised when she released Barry and brought her in for a hug.

" _Alex Danvers,_ I can't believe it's you!"

She pushed her away, preparing to hit her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Mon-El had told us that you were a strong and fierce warrior."

Recognition dawned in her eyes, and she relaxed slightly. "Mon-El? You're a Legionnaire?"

"Not quite. Legionnaire in training. There was an incident, but we can talk about that later. We really should get the Flash to Gym'll."

"Gym'll?" She asked, looking at him for clarification.

"She thinks I'm ill," he explained weakly.

She raised an eyebrow. "And you aren't?"

He shook his head, unable to speak. Alex turned towards the woman. "Can you give us a minute?"

Nura nodded and moved to leave the two, smiling the entire way out. "Man, I met _Alex Danvers_ and _Barry Allen,_ " she whispered to herself.

Alex whipped back around to Barry, taking a seat next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, then I guess it has nothing to do with the fact that we're in the future where Mon-El is." She searched his eyes, brown iris's analyzing every twitch of his face.

He sighed, pressing his palms to his eyes and rubbing. "What do I do, Alex? You want to know what that woman said? She said that if it weren't for me then Kara would have stayed in this time with _him._ I changed her future when I came into her life."

"And what's the alternative? You _not_ save her and then she dies from Kryptonite poisoning? Or she doesn't, and she comes here to stay? Without me, no less? Barry, you and Kara are entirely too ignorant to see that you aren't gods. You have these powers, but you're just people. You chose to save my sister just like she chose to stay with you. Life is made up of choices, it doesn't matter if you know which one you would have made if other things wouldn't have happened. Barry, she loves you."

"Alex, what if she doesn't? What if she loves Mon-El, and I was just there as some kind of consolation?"

"Do you hear yourself right now? Barry, you have to trust her. Kara doesn't want to be with Mon-El. She loved him. Absolutely. You have to honor that love, but she's chosen to be with you, and you have to honor that choice as well."

Barry nodded. He saw who he had been with Iris—jealous, insecure, selfish. He wasn't going to be that person with Kara. Jealousy was a powerful emotion, but so was trust and he wanted to trust Kara. He _needed_ to trust her. Mon-El or no Mon-El, he and Kara had to be fine, and he had to believe it.

"Thank you, Alex," he breathed.

"Of course, Barry. But just think of that conversation whenever you think of running me across town, okay?"

He grinned. "I mean, I could run you to the meeting right now."

She glared at him, standing up and holding her side as she backed away. "Don't."

He laughed and stood, slinging his arm around Alex's shoulders. "Fine. But consider our debt paid."

Nura watched the exchange between them from the doorway, her body shielded from the wall behind them. She turned around, bumping into Imra. The black-haired woman jumped out of the way, grabbing Nura's shoulders and holding her still.

"Nura, what are you doing?"

"I had a dream."

Imra straightened, immediately disregarding any previous annoyances. Anyone knew that when Nura had a dream, it was important.

"What was it about?"

"The usual. She still dies. Nothing has changed."

"Nura, we _can't_ let that happen. The world needs her, the _future_ does."

"Imra, _all_ of my dreams have happened. Mon-El believed that he could prevent it, but it still happens. She dies and the entire world with her."

"We know what's at stake. Not just this world, but _all_ of them. The _multiverse_."

"There's nothing else we can do. Supergirl will still die."

* * *

Mon-El could still feel the lingering kiss on his cheek. It was an innocuous gesture, but he couldn't help but feel the weight of the world from the display. It seemed to be the vestiges of her feelings that now belonged to someone else, and it hurt like hell. He couldn't escape the inexplicable pain and joy of having Kara back. To be within arm's reach of her, but to still lose her sucked all the air out of his lungs. It felt like being thrust into the pod all over again. He had longed for this moment for four years, even more so when Nura had come to him with her dream. That's why he had sent Laurel. He _had_ to prevent her death. He couldn't allow her to be taken away from this world even if everything else crumpled because of it or even if it didn't.

He knew the cardinal rule of time travel, and his newfound, strict morality had tried to convince him to be selfless—to give up Kara—but he knew that he couldn't. He _couldn't_ because the world needed her. They needed the unwavering hope that she brought in every area of life as well as when she was Kara. Every single part of her was a living, breathing representation of pure, unadulterated _goodness._ She was the soul behind so many people, and he knew that letting her die wouldn't do anything except create a domino effect of pain to everyone around her.

She was too valuable to the world—to _him._

But he saw the looks she gave Barry. He knew that he lost her the moment he saw both of them together. He had seen the love that him and her had, and he wished that he could win her back, but this wasn't the bachelorette. He couldn't spout romantic promises and win her affections. This was real life, and he knew that he couldn't stand in front of her happiness even if he wished to Rao that he was a part of that. The truth was he constantly belied her expectations and he couldn't risk hurting her again.

It was strange the irony of the situation. He needed her to let her go, and he knew that they both needed to see each other to finally move on. They had grieved. They loved each other, and they always would, but he would never intentionally get in the way of something that made her happy just to satisfy his own personal wants and desires.

He saw her walk away, leaving to find Barry, and he wanted to grab her and warn her what was going to happen. He wanted to make her stay here, and it killed him knowing that she would have if Barry hadn't shown up. Mon-El wished that she would just remain in the future and stay alive, but he couldn't ask that of her. He knew what she would say if she knew what would happen, and it was that she couldn't abandon her people. That if she died, then she died for the people she loved and that alone was enough for her. It always had been.

He might not be the love of her life anymore, but he was going to find a loophole. A way to make sure she kept everything she had worked so hard to attain. She wasn't going to stay with him, he knew that now, but he would make damn well sure that she didn't die.

"I won't let you die, Kara."

* * *

Kara found Barry with Alex, the two smiling at each other as Alex tried to run away from Barry, holding her side in the process. Barry sped in front of her, causing her to bump into his shoulder, and she smacked the flat of her palm across his shoulder. He jumped back in pain, rubbing his now bruised shoulder.

"Ouch! Geez, Alex, even with your stitches you're violent," he complained.

"I told you...you don't get to run me anywhere. It's almost as bad as when Kara flies me."

Kara scoffed, walking up to them and glaring at her. "I'm a great flier!"

"Yeah, sure, if point was to give someone whiplash," she countered, poking her sister in the arm.

"I didn't see you complaining when you threw yourself off the side of the building and expected me to catch you."

"Hold up, Alex _threw herself off the side of a building?_ " Barry interjected.

"Well, there was a Daxamite invasion going on. I didn't exactly have the time to chew you out for all the jerks and turns you made," Alex continued, ignoring Barry.

Both girls stared at each other before breaking and laughing, grabbing the other in a quick hug. Alex grimaced, and Kara pulled back immediately, checking her sister over for injuries.

"Are you okay? Is something broken? Let me see."

Alex squirmed from her sister's scrutinizing gaze. "I'm fine, Kara. I'm fine." Her eyes widened, and she pushed Kara out of the way, grabbing a lamp from the side of a table. "Watch out!"

A blue skinned figure had entered the room, looking almost as shocked as Alex did and raising his hands to ward off the lamp that was slowly making its way towards his head. The thing managed to jump out of the way but was taken off guard when Kara sped over to him and picked him up, eyes burning.

"Who are you?" she growled, shaking her hand, and by extension, the poor man attached to it.

His face was scrunched in fear, his arms struggling against the Kryptonian currently whipping her hand back and forth at speeds that made his brain feel like a marble in a tin can. He held up his hands in surrender, hoping she would stop long enough to realize that he wasn't a threat.

"I'm Brainiac 5! Stop it!"

Kara paused, Alex and Barry exchanging looks and wondering who it was and determining if he was a threat.

"Who?"

"Querl Dox, otherwise known as Brainiac 5. I'm a 12th-level intellect and member of the Legion."

Alex rolled her eyes. "We didn't ask for your life story. Kara, he's fine. And if not, Barry can speed him over to the Pacific and throw him in. Wait is there still a Pacific? What's the geography looking like in the future?"

Kara gently set him down, her eyes returning to their normal color as she sheepishly apologized. "Sorry. You look like someone who tried to kill me."

"It's fine. Mon-El sent me to tell you that Laurel has been taken out of surgery. He assumed that you would like to see her."

"Thank you, Brainiac 5. I'll be right there."

He nodded and quickly ran walked out of the room, most likely to avoid the jumpy woman who had been a personal hero of his. No matter the awestruck nature of seeing her in his present and her future, it was a little more than unsettling to be held from his neck by a legend like her.

Kara turned to Alex and Barry. "I'm really starting to get unnerved by all the people popping out from all over the place."

Alex nodded. "Yeah. Especially the ones that look eerily similar to Indigo. I'm not so sure about everyone that's here. I'm going to go find Mon-El and do some recon and see if I can't learn so more about this place."

Alex smiled and left, leaving Barry and Kara to themselves—an uncomfortable silence lingering between them. It was an unspoken, almost awkwardness that blanketed them both though really no fault of their own. It was merely an unfortunate happenstance that had thrown a wrench in pretty much everything that had been happening. Neither wanted to admit it, rather opting for unconfrontational ignorance or was it just plain avoidance of the obvious. The words were elusive, creating a fear that once it was spoken it would become real, a real issue that needed to be dealt with.

"I know how bad this is," Kara started. She was never really one to let fear deter her.

"Yeah. Gotta say. Not too happy about being here with Mon-El. It's not exactly the situation I dreamed I would be in."

"I didn't either, Barry. I've spent almost half a year wondering what happened to Mon-El. Wondering if I had killed him, and now he's here. He's alive, and he's leading a team of superheroes in the future. It's a situation that I couldn't have ever dreamed of—even on the more weirder days, but now there's these feelings of guilt and pain at what I had forced him to do. There's a feeling that I let him down. I failed him."

Barry shook his head at her, desperate to try and get her not to blame herself. "Kara, you gave him a new purpose in life. One that I'm sure he's been looking for ever since he met you. He's established a legion that saves lives and one that's entirely influenced by you. I'll be the first to say that I'm a little jealous and a part of me worries that you'll want to stay here with him, but I also know that you're the most honest person I know. You're led by your heart and it has never steered you wrong before. I trust you, Kara. I trust you to know that you saved him."

Kara offered a weary smile and slowly approached the man, wrapping her arms around him—wishing that for once she could squeeze as hard as she could without breaking his body in half.

"Barry, I'm not staying here. I want to be with you."

It felt like a physical weight was lifted from his shoulders, and he found himself tearing up. The fear, the doubt, the paranoia had consumed his mind. It was crushing and debilitating as he forced himself to be supportive and _un_ jealous. It took restraint that he was sure he didn't have and faith that he was sure he had lost ever since Zoom had taken his father from him. But still she chose him. She chose him, and he felt like he could finally breathe.

"I love you, Kara." He meant to declare it, no hesitation, no wavering, but it came out small and vulnerable full of the deepest emotions of his heart. It was an admission of his soul to her that he gave in that moment.

"I love you too."

They had said it before, but there was a weightiness that carried through the simple words this time. It wasn't a pinpointed difference but a spontaneous exchange between two people who barred their entire being to the other.

They shared a tender kiss, Barry pressing his lips to hers and closing his eyes to savor the taste of her. To savor the moment for as long as it would permit him to. Kara eventually pulled away, slipping her hand onto the slight stubble protruding from his chin and smiling shyly.

"I need to go check on Tera-Zar."

"You mean Laurel?" he asked, amused.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Laurel."

He nodded and stepped back, letting her go—knowing that she would always come back. She wasn't leaving.

* * *

Alex had heard the words uttered from Mon-El's mouth. It was quiet, and it was a miracle that she had even managed to pick up on the softness of his voice. She found herself frozen in place, hoping to god or to anyone that she hadn't heard what she thought she did. She wanted to backtrack and forget about it—chalk it up to injury or whatever because there was no way that she could accept it. There had to be a missing context in there somewhere, a crucial part to the simple sentence that Mon-El had said because there was no way. There was just no damn way that _her_ Kara was going to die. She had to be rational and ask him calmly why the hell he just said that he wouldn't let her die.

There were laws to the universe. There were constants and fluctuations that supplied the world they lived in. There were things that were necessary to her very being, to her very existence. Things that were eternal and everlasting, things that she refused to let go of, and every fiber of her body would fight for those constants. For those things that she couldn't live without. Kara was her constant. Kara was a different part of her, ripped apart from the beginning of time and scattered across the universe to reunite as two parts of the same soul. Barry was her love, the love of her life, but what Alex shared with Kara was indefinable. It was indescribable, and it was fierce. It was a love that she knew she would never share with anyone else and one that she refused to part with. It was essential to who she was—who she wanted to become, and she would tear the world apart to keep from losing it.

So instead, in true Alex Danvers fashion, she charged the bearded man and slammed him into the nearest wall. She probably wouldn't have been able to move him except he was surprised and frankly, powers or no powers, everyone was terrified of the government agent. It was a an unspoken rule at the D.E.O. Never get on Agent Danvers' bad side unless you wanted a broken bone or the equivalent of death.

So now Mon-El was pressed against the wall, Alex's knee hovering uncomfortably close to the area between his legs. There was a fire in her eyes that could hardly be distinguished between an insane sadist and a very very concerned older sister. It seemed that those two personalities tended to overlap more than once.

"You're going to explain why the hell you just said what you said or else I'm going to let my knee continue and then chop it off," she threatened.

Mon-El winced, her threats the least of his worries. He was more torn between telling her and not. The implications of knowledge were often too great to be risked, especially when the fickleness of time travel was involved.

"Tell me!"

But then again, Alex wasn't just anyone, and she needed to know. Maybe she could protect her.

"Fine, Alex. Fine! Kara's going to die."

Alex growled, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him away from the wall and her. "Start talking."

"One of the legionnaires had a vision of her dying soon. Maybe a year from now."

"How?" Alex could barely manage a single word, her mind rushing and blanching at the prospect of never seeing her little sister again.

"There's a war coming, Alex. One that has both sides—evil and good—struggling for power. It's spreading throughout the multiverse. Soon both present and future will be destroyed along with Kara."

"Cut the crap, Mon-El. Tell me how she's going to die. Tell me now or I swear to god I will throw you into a wormhole myself and make sure you pop out in hell."

"I don't know! She could only see her dying—blood seeping from her body and bruises covering the entirety of her skin. Her suit is torn and the center of her chest is….it's _open._ It's bleeding, and she dies. She dies. That's all I know. I'm sorry, Alex. It happens soon. The timeline is still in flux—soon this future, the one we're in right now, will begin to change. But you can still change it."

Alex's face drains of color, and she turns, narrowly making it to the trashcan, and puking. Her chest heaves from the news that is more than just a bad prophecy. It speaks of the end of her world as she knows it because there is no world for her without Kara. There is no reason for being without her little sister being there with her. Since the moment she was dropped onto the Danvers' door it had been drilled into her head. _Protect your sister._ It was a command written in her DNA—a second nature to her. She could no longer distinguish where he life ended and Kara's began. They were simply _one_ , and for Alex she was always content with that, significant other or none. It was her and Kara against the world. Forever.

"Send me to the future or past or whenever it happens. I'll kill whatever kills her first. I'll get it done. Then it won't be a threat."

Mon-El shook his head, not surprised in the least. "It doesn't work like that Alex. I can't just send you to when she dies. There are rules that are too complicated for us to comprehend. All I know is that it can only be stopped in the past. Barry Allen made it possible when he changed the timeline and prevented her from staying in the future. He has the power to stop her death before it happens. He can change the future."

"Damn it, Mon-El, I'm not going to just wait for the moment to come and then hope to god that Barry can manage to save her in time. I need to do something now. Get your member down here. We're going to kill this before it can get that far!"

"Alex, don't you think I've tried?" His eyes sagged as he tugged at her shoulders, turning her towards him. For the first time since they had landed here, Alex got a good look at the man. More than just an off the shoulder glance, and she saw the deep circles around the rims of his eyes and the lagging way he moved about as if broken and hopeless.

"Alex, I've tried. I tried when I sent Laurel to find her, and I tried to go to the past to stop it. It blocked my attempt—almost killed me. Something's happened that has quarantined that time from the rest of history. We can't know what happens and we can't stop it right there. We have to stop it before it happens."

Alex shook her head. "I have to tell her."

Mon-El shook his head vehemently. "Alex, you can't! She can never know!"

Alex gritted her teeth. It was maddening that they kept getting put in these positions where one had to lie to the other just to protect them. It was the same dance over and over again, and she just wished that for once it could stop. She wished it could all just stop, and she wouldn't have to worry about losing her sister once again to a world that she had always been too good for. Kara had always been too good for this world.

"I-I, Mon-El, I have to. She has to know."

Mon-El grabbed her by the hands. "Alex, if she knew this was going to happen, it would ruin everything she's built for herself. She would live knowing that she's going to die and for what? Nothing would change. She would still sacrifice herself thinking that this was her destiny. It wouldn't help anything."

"Mon-El, I promised her." Alex was practically begging him—begging herself to not break her promise to Kara. She couldn't do it again. She and Kara had finally reached a safe place…a _good_ place. This lie could drive them apart."

"Alex, no. We have to stop this ourselves. She can't know."

She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Okay. Okay."

"Good. Alex, I promise we'll figure something out."

"We'd better. I'm not losing her again." Alex ripped her hand from his and stalked out of the room, wanting to cry and punch something. She wanted to fight right now and bring down the world until she felt that her sister was going to be safe. But for now, she had to patient and bide her time. Bide her time until she could bring down hell on to the person who was going to kill her sister.

* * *

Kara hesitantly stepped into Laurel's room. She didn't know what to expect when Brainiac 5 had told her she was out of surgery, but she definitely wasn't expecting the woman to already be conscious and lucid enough to hold a conversation. She understood that she was in the future, but this kind of healing tech was… _astounding_.

Laurel gave her a faint smile before tapping the edge of her bed. Kara plopped down next to her, swirling emotions bouncing around inside of her. She didn't know if she was supposed to be angry or relieved.

"Kara," Laurel whispered sadly. "I-I—d"

"I know," Kara interrupted. "It's fine."

"No. I lied to you. I've heard enough stories from Mon-El to know that lying about who you are is definitely one of the things to avoid when around you."

Kara smiled grimly. "That's true. To be fair, Mon-El was hiding the fact that he was the prince of a party planet that kept their subjects drunk and oblivious. You only lied about being from the future. I get it. You were taken captive by Cadmus and couldn't exactly admit to me that you belonged in the 31st century. They were probably listening."

"Yeah," Laurel lied, clenching her teeth. She was glad that Kara had made it easier on her and offered a plausible lie that she already believed in, but still…easier by not much more. She still _knew_ that her friend was going to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Mon-El had given her a mission, and she had failed. She failed both of them.

"Kara, I'm sorry. You say you understand, but I'm still so sorry. I didn't want to keep this all from you."

"Laurel, it's fine. Why were you in the 21st century in the first place?"

Laurel's face tightened, her eyes delivering the depths of her sadness, the manifestations of her fears. "There's something coming. Something we needed to change."

There's something about the way she says it. The weightiness behind the words, the careful and drawn of pronunciation of each syllable that screams at Kara to dig deeper. She knows that something's been going on. She felt it ever since she stepped foot into this time period, but she knows the rules of time travel. She knows the importance of protecting the timeline and protecting that knowledge that comes with it, so she doesn't ask. She doesn't ask for the reason, or the background.

"Did you change it?"

"No."

She nods, forcing herself to be satisfied with an answer that only ignites the journalistic curiosity that brews inside of her. She nods and forces herself to be okay with the answer. She doesn't need to know what's going on—she doesn't want to know.

Laurel leans forward. "I need to thank you for saving my life. You came back, and I'll never be able to repay you for that."

"You saved my life first."

"I guess I did. But thank you. You guys will have to be heading back soon. The past needs you."

Kara bites her lip. "And you have to stay here, don't you?"

"I do."

"Okay."

"Will you be okay?" Laurel asks, cautiously. She understands the pain behind the blonde's eyes. The hurt and agony that losing a friend can do. She saw it often in Mon-El's eyes.

"I'll be okay. I'll be okay." Kara repeats it, hoping that by repetition the words might actually become true and the aching in her heart might actually go away. She knows the silliness of this feeling and the stupidity of feeling loss from a woman she knew less than a day, but then again, she had always grown attached too quickly. It was her strength and it was her weakness.

"I'll be just fine," she repeats.

And she believes it.


	21. Chapter 21- Justice's Origin

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I haven't been getting a lot of feedback lately, and I had several ideas and arcs for this story, but I've been thinking about ending this one soon. Tell me what you guys think. Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following!

 **Chapter 21**

Clark Kent's life could be summarized by the breadth of his achievements. At 15 he began using his powers to help the citizens of Smallville. He saved lives and changed perspectives, maintaining a tight moral code that many of his friends had abandoned throughout their pursuits in justice. By 18 he had already saved the world and witnessed the slow burning sadomasochistic tendencies of the man he had once called his best friend. When he turned 20, he had begun his ascent into becoming the hero his fathers and his mother had all believed he could be, and the destiny that everyone seemed to know except him became more and more clear. He started to see things the way they had always been, and he accepted it wholeheartedly. At 22 he crafted the life he wanted for himself, pulling himself out of his failures, out of his mistakes and creating a reality that illuminated the best this world had to offer. At 24 he abolished the darkness brought by Darkseid, completing the last step to becoming Superman, and at 30 he married the love of his life. Invariably, every success had been preempted by heartbreaking loss and failure, and his life could be totaled through those. Through the mind-bending failures that he couldn't help but feel broken at.

At 15 he had sparked the psychotic obsession of Lex Luthor, creating a never-ending cycle of violence and egos clamoring for dominance. Thousands of lives lost in the struggle between good and evil, between morality and corruption. By 18 his failures resulted in the death of his father—the man who molded him and showed him the values he needed in order to be the hero earth deserved. When he turned 20, he had his heart broken more times than he cared to remember and witnessed the banishment of one of the most important people in his youth. At 22, he made a mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life through the death of his best friend's husband.

But he knew the mistake that fleshed his heart and clawed from the inside out because at 24 he met a young girl with bright blonde hair and blue eyes so afraid and scared that he felt his heart break at the sight of them. He met a 13-year-old little girl wearing white clothes so pristine that they hardly looked as if they had just crossed the universe for 24 years. He led her by the hand to a house he knew would be safe, thousands of ideas rattling around in his brain. _What do I do? Am I doing the right thing? Can I afford to keep her? Can I take care of her?_ He knew the answers, he understood what he owed this little girl, but he also knew what he wanted. He knew that he wanted this girl to be cared for—to be loved the way he was.

But he knew _he_ couldn't do it.

He couldn't care for this girl who was a teenager in every right but numbers. He couldn't give this girl the best life this world had to offer just as his dad and his mom did for him. So he tuckered in his pride and offered this girl to two doctors with a girl not much older than her, and he prayed that he made the right decision. He hoped that she would retain the normalcies that he had while still being true to herself. He hoped that this wouldn't break her or embitter the last remaining parts of hope that existed in a heart that was too large for this world. He hoped that the sadness in her eyes would be erased by these gentle people who had dedicated their lives to helping him unlock his potential. He wished that this girl would find a friend in their daughter, and that the life she would lead would be entirely her own. That it would be entirely of her making that helped remind and console her on a loss he couldn't even begin to understand.

He led her, hand in hand, to the Danvers and when he reached the door—he let go. He slipped his hand out of hers, narrowly missing the burst of strength that would have clasped his hand to hers and steadied him by her side. He shook it out and turned around, leaving as quickly as he had just come, flexing the boundaries between running and superhuman speeding away. He ignored the tears that filled his eyes and the lump that grew ten sizes since he left. But he couldn't help it. He sped a half a mile away and turned around, his abilities allowing him to see crystal-clear fear in her eyes. Fear that he hadn't seen since she landed, and in that moment, he understood Jor-El and Lara in a way he wished he never had to. He understood the heartbreak it took to relinquish a person you loved with all your heart to someone else.

It was logical. It made sense on paper, but the emotions that filled the pen and the words behind them tore at his insides with red-hot fury that couldn't help but make him want to scream. He turned around quickly, taking to the skies and zooming towards the apartment that he and Lois lived in. That he, Lois, and Kara had lived in. He sped through the door, slamming it shut behind him, the boom reverberating throughout the plastered walls. He jammed his fists into his eyes, trying to ward off the rivulets of tears that came from the burned in memory of that look. Of that look of betrayal.

He didn't feel Lois come up to him and cradle him in arms that were always his home. He didn't hear her whisper in his ear—trying to justify what he just did. He didn't notice when his hand flew down to the counter and took a chunk of granite with it after he tried to steady himself. All he saw was the resigned abandonment that filled her eyes, searing into her soul. He saw the mark he made on her life right then and there, and it _killed_ him.

More than Doomsday. More than Darkseid. More than heartbreak.

"Clark, look at me," Lois commanded.

And he did. He was never good at denying her anything.

"Clark, you did the right thing."

He nearly laughed. _Then why does my heart feel like it's torn in half?_ "Did I, Lois? Would she have been better off with us? She stayed here for a month before I took her to the Danvers. She was _fine_." He tried to tell himself that. He tried to come up with a reason to rush back to that house and take her back.

"Smallville, we could care for her. We could love her. We could do all of that, but the life we have chosen to live would deprive her of a choice that she should be able to make on her own. Without the influence of us. Without the influence of that 'S' you wear on your chest. She might want to become a superhero, but she might also want to play in the sand and have a first kiss and be a regular teenaged girl. Living with us is too dangerous. People would find out—our enemies would find out, and she would be _forced_ into that life. She wouldn't have a choice."

Clark closed his eyes, knowing that she was right but wishing that she was wrong. That she didn't know what she was talking about and they could go pick up Kara and everything would be fine. She wouldn't be in constant danger. She wouldn't be forced into a life. She _wouldn't._

But he was reminded of his dad. Of his mom. Of his best friends. Each person had paid the price, even Lois, and he was a fool to think that Kara would be able to escape that.

"You're right, Lois. You're right." He looked up, seeing plates strewn across tables. He saw books opened with notes scribbled in the prettiest handwriting and in the strangest language. He saw letters connected with symbols and the little hints of a girl that lived here were interspersed throughout.

But he was weak as the years passed.

He saw the cards, the emails, the missed calls on his phone that begged for him to notice her. He saw them and responded back with excuses. Excuses that allowed him to hide away from the shame he was feeling and ignore it. He relinquished all parts of that girl to the Danvers, citing irresponsibility of lack of the wherewithal. He convinced himself that all interaction with the girl was too dangerous, and he couldn't be seen with her. He would succumb to his temptations, though, and show up unannounced at their doorstep. He didn't miss the stares or the glares from the family, only the light in the little blonde's eyes, and that was enough. It was evident he was making a mistake. It was clear he was doing this completely wrong, but he needed to see her. He needed to know he made the right choice, and then he would disappear for another stint of time only to reappear and the glares and stares would be back—but the light in the girl's eyes would be back too and that was enough.

He could be the object of hate from Alex or from Jeremiah or from Eliza. There were thousands of ways to do this correctly, but he had made his choice and it was too late to go back now. So he would show up once or twice a year for the next seven years of her life until he didn't at all. Until he would only communicate through emails and texting and chat rooms, and he didn't notice how it affected her until six years later when her hero—her Alex Danvers told him. And he knew it was the biggest mistake of his life to fail that little girl. Because _now_ she wasn't little, and _now_ she might die, and _he_ hadn't seen her in years.

So Clark's life could be summed through his greatest achievements. Through Superman himself. But it could also be summed through his greatest failures. Through Kara herself. He knew he had to make up for it right then and there with a vengeance that would tear the world apart for her, but he knew deep down he had no right. He gave that up when he gave her to the Danvers. He and Lois might never be able to have a child, but Kara was the closest thing he could equate with it, and the failure ate him up as he waited. He waited for Alex to bring her back just as she always did—not _him._

And she did because Alex was the greatest person he ever knew. The closeness between the sisters was unprecedented and irreplaceable no matter how much he tried to body shove his way in, and who was he to even try? He stayed back, stayed away as she healed and as she connected with Barry—a man he was happy to be in Kara's life. He stayed away, trying his best to help in a way that he already knew. He would keep this world safe and try and keep the little girl away from horrors that embodied the worst of this world.

But he knew he already failed. He failed the moment Lillian took the first shot, the moment Metallo slung her unconscious form across his body. He failed when she was thrown across earths and now as Bruce stood in front of him briefing him on the current situation, he knew he failed once more.

"You mean that Kara, Alex, and Barry are just _gone_?" he asked, disbelief piling up in his voice.

"Yes."

"Where are they?"

"We don't know, but Alex sent a text before they entered the facility. She said they were going to be off the grid for a while and not to worry."

Clark felt a pang of jealously immediately followed by regret. Alex was her protector. Not him. "So, what do we do?"

"Nothing. We do nothing. Alex is one of the smartest people here, and if she says not to worry than we don't worry," Bruce said, his blasé articulation angering him.

"Nothing? So, you called me here to say 'hey your cousin's missing so we're going to do nothing. Just wanted to let you know?'"

"No, Clark. I need your help. It's time we start establishing our League. I contacted Oliver on the other side and he's doing the same."

"Hold up, we're going to chase after metas who have already been doing this alone for years and ask them to join a think tank?" he clarified, hoping that by some stroke of luck, the hasty generalization of his plan would show how ridiculous this was.

"Yep. Glad you understand. First up, we're going underseas."

* * *

Oliver Queen didn't know what to say other than this was a long time coming. Felicity's and Thea's renovation of the S.T.A.R. Labs hangar was going well, and Bruce's advice to start recruiting was solid to say the least. He didn't have Barry and with his three first choices occupied he turned to the only other woman he trusted with his life.

"Ollie, you know this is insane, right?"

"Yes, Sara, seeing as how you don't fail to mention it to me every five seconds."

"Just making sure you know. Because traveling to Coast City on some kind of whim isn't what I'd call a good plan of action."

"Yes, I know! You've mentioned it!"

Sara raised her hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Just run through it with me one more time. Why do you think there's something worth investigating in Coast City?"

"Something doesn't add up, Sara. Ferris Aircraft is hiding something."

Sara stopped, her hand flying out and pressing against Oliver's torso to keep him from moving. "You don't mean the Ferris Aircraft like the leading aviation company in the world, right? _That_ Ferris Aircraft?"

"Yes, Sara, that's exactly what I mean, and now can we please keep going? We're almost there."

"Hey, how about you continue. Why is there something suspicious going on?"

"Fine. There was a test pilot that Thea, Felicity, and I heard about who nearly died after his plane crashed. No human should be able to withstand the heats that the aircraft was measured at reaching, but he still survived and came back months later without a scratch on him. Now Ferris Aircraft denies any part in the crash, but something doesn't line up. Not to mention there's been chatter on the dark web about a man clothed in emerald light. I think there's a connection."

Sara raised her eyebrow, skeptically. "Either that or you're jealous that someone's rebelling against your patent on green leathered superheroes. And since when do you go skulking around the dark web?"

"Sara, can we just focus?"

"Sure, boss. All focused. Next question. How do you plan on getting in? This is a military base and unless you can magically become a general in the next five seconds, I doubt we're going to be able to get in."

"I don't have to. Thea wrote me in as co-founder of Queen Industries. Ferris Aircraft has been coming into some bankruptcy issues, so I'm here to discuss some of the finer details with the owner—Carl Ferris."

Sara scoffed. "That's nepotism if I've ever seen it. Does Thea remember how bad you did with the last company you had?"

Oliver ignored her, walking up to the man blocking the entrance to the offices.

"Name?"

"Oliver Queen and this is my associate Sara Lance."

"Go ahead. She's waiting for you in the next room."

They walked in the door, Oliver masking the confusion he felt. He turned into the next room, seeing a pretty dark-haired woman sitting behind a desk filled to the top with papers and various folders. She stood quickly, offering each of them her hand.

"Carol Ferris, nice to meet you," she introduced herself, gesturing to the seats in front of her desk.

"Oliver Queen and this is my associate Sara Lance. There must have been a typo. I thought I was meeting with a Carl Ferris."

"No typo. The company recently switched hands after some family issues came up. Carl Ferris is my father. But I've got to say. I'm confused on why a tech company wants to help out something so far out of their wheelhouse."

"Queen Industries is looking to diversify. Your company deals primarily in aviation, but our tech applied with your aircrafts could be revolutionary. I am curious however on one thing."

"And what's that Mr. Queen?'

"Call me Oliver, please," he said, flashing her a quick smile. "Ms. Ferris—"

"If you're Oliver," she interrupted.

"Alright, Carol it is. I'm confused on the whole incident with one of your pilots."

"What do you mean?"

"You actually were looking to sue your father's company after pilot Hal Jordan was presumed dead, weren't you?" Sara interjected, alerted to the quick twitch of her eye after she mentioned his name.

"Yes, I was. But he was found alive, and I dropped the case."

"That's odd though, isn't it?"

"I don't see how, Ms. Lance. He was a childhood friend, and I was upset and needed someone to blame, but once he turned up, I dismissed all charges. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Not at all. What's hard to believe is the fact that he's still alive."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearing her throat awkwardly. "I don't see how this has anything to do with what we're going to be talking about today."

"You're right, my apologies," Sara replied, her eyes betraying the good-naturedness of the apology.

"If you don't mind, we would like to have a word with the pilot afterwards."

"Of course. Now if we may?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

"Bruce, I thought I misunderstood you back there but based on the fact that we're driving straight towards the Atlantic Ocean, I don't think you were."

"No, I wasn't. Brace yourself."

"Wait! Uh, we aren't necessarily in a submarine. We're in car if you remember, and cars don't exactly float."

"Trust me, Clark."

The car zoomed off the side of the asphalt, catapulting into the ocean and sinking. Clark moved his hand to the seatbelt, aiming to rip the side of the tin can open and fly the both of them to safety, but he heard the gears of the car begin the shift. The entire front molded and snapped forward, revealing a jet underneath. The back did the same, and the automobile lurched forward suddenly, throwing both men back into their chairs.

"Bruce!"

The man ignored him and pushed the wheel forward, increasing the speed until the vehicle was nearly hopping the waves. They drove for a good hour before Bruce tilted the thing back and the whole contraption slowed to a near stop.

Clark couldn't see anything for miles, and his faith in the man was slowly giving way to complete belief that he had gone crazy.

"Bruce, where are we?"

"I met a man in Maine last year. He exhibited strange abilities."

"Strange abilities," Clark clarified. "Like what?"

"Super-strength, superspeed, and the ability to breathe underwater."

"So, you decided the only way to find him was to drive miles away in the middle of the ocean?"

"Yes. He said he would meet us here."

"Bruce, I don't thi—" A large wave of water was pushed from the bottom, the streams fading away to show a large man tattooed across his entire upper body. His hair hung loosely below his shoulders, and his eyes looked critically at the two men.

His whole body was suspended by water that wrapped around his legs, supporting him in a way that completely defied physics. Clark's eyes narrowed, examining the man and any inclinations that he may be dangerous. Bruce, on the other hand, began to unbuckle and pull himself out of the side window and on top of the vehicle. Choosing to follow the man's lead, Clark did the same until both were face to face with the enormous Atlantean.

"Arthur Curry, nice to see you again."

"Bruce Wayne. How's Gotham?" The man responded, smiling warmly at the two.

"That's what we're here about."

"We're?" He turned to Clark, his eyes moving across the length of his body, analyzing and assessing him from head to toe. "And who's this?"

"Superman," Clark responded, his chest puffing out slightly. "I'm Superman."

The man raised an eyebrow, scoffing. "Sure you are."

Clark glared at him, levitating two feet off the top of the vehicle. The man's scoff disappeared giving away to slight respect as he nodded at him.

"Well shit. I guess you are."

Bruce cleared his throat, trying to steer the conversation back to its original subject. "I'm here about that task force I told you about."

"The one I told you I didn't want to be a part of?"

"Things have changed."

"The oceans look fine. Doesn't seem like anything's changed."

Bruce pulled out his phone, swiping up to reveal a map of the world decorated with several red dots across the entirety of it. "This is a map of all sightings of metas and supers that have acted on behalf of Cadmus. That's more than doubled since last year. Something of that magnitude…that's going to end up affecting you and your oceans and you'd be ignorant to think otherwise."

Clark could see Curry's eyes furrow in deep thought as if mulling each outcome carefully. The tenseness of his muscles and the sharpness of his jaw attributed to the amount of time he was taking to consider Bruce's offer, and Clark was sure he was going to say no. To live in the ocean far away from the reach of Cadmus was a blessing. It was the ability to remain completely isolated from the conflict. For him and his people, it was important to weigh the consequences of involving themselves in earthly matters and earthly conflicts and decide when it was right to intervene and when it was right to abstain from the battle. This wasn't directly affecting them yet. They didn't need to be involved.

"I have a duty to Atlantis to protect my people," he said simply.

"Cadmus almost killed Supergirl. They went after her, and if it wasn't for a certain good Samaritan then she would have died. You think they won't target you and Atlantis? I found you all by myself. You don't think they already know? You don't think they'll come after you?"

"You don't understand. I have a duty to Atlantis to protect my people. I'll join. I'll join your little task force, but shit, it better be worth it."

* * *

Oliver Queen glanced at his watch once more, sure that this Carol Ferris was playing a prank on him. After his not so subtle attempt to stall a merge between both of their companies, Carol had basically shoved both him and Sara out the door. He knew his intentions were made blatantly clear when they mentioned Jordan, and his transparency had apparently been punished.

"Ollie, do you get the feeling that we're being played?"

"Unfortunately, I do."

"Next time I should probably take point."

"You think you could've done better?"

"Better than what happened in there? Definitely."

"And I suppose that's because subtly is your specialty? Because you're amazing at getting a job done quickly and quietly?"

Sara nodded. "Yeah."

"Beebo."

She flinched. "Point taken." She ran her fingers through her hair, her foot tapping anxiously. "Still, I don't think it's very smart to just sit her waiting for this mysterious emerald hero to just randomly show up. In fact, I don't kn—"

Her sentence was interrupted, a bright light in what looked like the shape of a fist slamming into her stomach. Her feet flew out in front of her as her body whipped back towards the back wall. Oliver tensed immediately, grabbing a piece of metal from his coat pocket and snapping it forward. The metal flexed and expanded into his regular compound bow, and he tapped a small button on the side of it to make little rows of arrows on the side enlarge. He swiftly grabbed an arrow, nocking it in and loosing it towards the glowing green man.

The intruder merely smirked and waved his hand, a shard of light smashing into the arrow and sending it skidding to the ground. Oliver's eyes assessed the messy brown hair and green and black suit that the man wore. There was an air of cockiness and of arrogance that graced the young guy in front of him. It was hidden in the way he played with the green ring on his finger and puffed out his chest. It was in the way he didn't notice Sara approaching him from behind about to smash a rock she had snatched from the ground on the side of his head.

The rock connected and the shock on his face said it all as he landed on his hands and knees, dazed from the hit. Oliver gestured to his ring, and Sara nodded, nearing the strange ring around the middle finger on his right hand. The guy spun around, and the ring emitted another burst of light that smacked into the woman and sent her flying once more. Oliver could swear he could see a small frown tip the side of his lip as Sara crashed onto the ground.

 _Good. Remorse._ Oliver raised his bow and nocked another arrow, fully aware that it wasn't going to do much of anything once the green clad man raised his hand. The man merely stood once more, the rock that would have killed a normal person bearing no effect on him.

"You seem like a smart guy. You don't really think you can do anything with that arrow, do you?" he asked, almost gleeful in his delivery.

"Maybe not. But maybe I can distract you a little bit longer."

His attire suddenly vanished along with the emerald glow that had previously surrounded him as Sara slipped the ring off his finger. He jumped backwards, trying to snag it back, but she threw it to Oliver who caught it. He examined the strange emblem and raised his eyebrow at the intruder.

"This looks like a toy. It's the source of your powers though, isn't it, Hal Jordan?"

The man stopped struggling, his hands dropping to his sides. "How do you know who I am?"

"You're not exactly cornering the market on secret identities. I've been doing this a long time. It's not hard to find out who's been behind the recent saves in Coast City. Particularly when they regard Miss Ferris."

He shrugged. "We'll then its nice to meet you Mr. Queen. Or Green Arrow." Oliver raised his eyebrow at him. "You know…if we're doing the full disclosure thing then I thought I should reveal that I know yours as well."

"That's fair," Oliver conceded, pocketing the ring.

"Hey! That's mine!" Hal began to approach him, stopping when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, seeing the deceiving smile of the pretty blonde behind him.

"You should take better care of your things."

Hal sighed, careful not to make any sudden moves for fear that the violent woman behind him might snap his neck. "What do you want? You invade my workplace, harass my friend, and now you're basically holding me hostage."

"I wouldn't say we harassed her. We were discussing a joint venture. And as I recall you were the one that attacked us first. Either way, we're here to propose an idea to you."

"Really? And you think I'll accept?"

"Sure I do. You remind me of a friend of mine a very long time ago. Cocky, new at the game, eager to get something done. But you're a hero. You can't sit still."

"You're not going to ask me any questions? You're just asking me."

Oliver grinned. "I don't need to. My girlfriend gave me everything I need. Father died when you were young. Inspired you to join this corporation, against your mother's wishes I might add. I don't need to know the specifics of your powers to know that you're strong-willed, powerful, and dedicated."

"You've got my attention."

* * *

Clark, Bruce, and Arthur arrived back at the Batcave, the big Atlantean almost immediately shoving his way around the area to inspect each gadget and vehicle. His inspections were usually punctuated with a profane exclamation, a nod, and then passage onto the next.

Clark pulled his friend aside, his doubts that were previously relieved being suddenly reinvigorated. "Bruce, you think this is a good idea?"

"Yes. I met him a while back. I needed his help for something, and he's one of the strongest warriors I know. I called a woman; she should be down here soon. We need to organize, Clark. And you need to lead."

He whipped his head around, certain he misheard him. "Me? You want _me_ to lead?"

"Yes, Clark."

"Wait. Why? Why not you?"

The man ran his fingers through is hair, moving to sit in a chair, and Clark moving to follow him. "Because, Clark. You and Kara are the symbol for hope. That "s" you wear on your chest is associated with optimism, hope, perseverance, and courage. All the ideals that America was founded on. I can't be the head of this group. I work in the shadows, doing what's necessary and hard. I will be behind you, but you need to be up front. The public trusts you. It has to be you, Clark."

"I-I'll do it. If you think I can, Bruce, then I'll do it."

"Good." His phone beeped, and he dug the device out his pocket, reading the message carefully. "Oliver says that he and Sara were successful, and they might have someone that can help us get Alex, Barry, and Kara back."

"How are you communicating with them?" Clark asked, dumbfounded. Last he heard, their tech only allowed them to talk via the extrapolator.

"New phone. Cisco was able to fashion a phone that allows us to communicate across earths. He's working on more." Another beep. "They're crossing over."

They turned towards the green portal that grew partially, allowing for all three to cross over to Earth-38. Bruce looked pensively at the strange and different color, immediately on guard. From what he had seen before, the portals were usually a gradient of blues, blacks, and whites. This one was different. It was almost a translucent green.

"Oliver?" he called out carefully, reaching into his belt and grasping at a batarang.

"It's fine, Bruce. Meet Hal Jordan."

"Is this a cave? Cool," the man exclaimed excitedly, nearly running over to Bruce in a giddy skip.

He extended his hand, the green mask that covered his eyes disappearing to reveal his full face. "Hi. I'm Hal Jordan, and I think I can help you get your friends back."

"Really? How?"

"Let's just say I have a pretty advanced piece of machinery. Queen told me that his friend thinks they're in the future. This is exactly in my wheelhouse. You guys ready?" He eyed the people around him, aware to how bizarre this group looked. An archer, alien, bat, Atlantean, ninja, and then him. He wasn't sure where he fit into this, but wherever there were freaks and geeks seemed like a good enough place for him to reside.

"I don't suppose you boys would like some assistance?" The team turned around, mouths agape at the beautiful woman behind them. Her hair hung in curls, and she wore what looked like a variation of Greek armor. The revealing parts of her outfit contrasted heavily with the sword that hung loosely in her hand and eyes that followed each of their movements.

"I-I-who are you?" Hal managed to ask, words tripping over his tongue and barely managing to come out.

"Diana Prince. Now where is this Justice League I've been told about?"


	22. Chapter 22- Secrets Revealed: The Crisis

**A/N** : Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following!

 **Chapter 22**

Alex Danvers knew her heart. She knew who she was at her core, and she had never once strayed from the incessant pounding that beat from her center. Her personality had always been proud and unapologetic, bulldozing through whatever she wanted and demolishing whatever was in her way. There was a callousness about her when her heart was threatened, disregarding any emotional connection that she shared with humanity and severing any tie that restricted her from tapping into the pent-up rage she always seemed to have.

And she knew this.

She knew the consequences of feeling, of loving someone so much that others, even herself, took a backseat to them. She knew it, yet she made the decision wholeheartedly, opting to relinquish any parts of her life and give them away. It was a ferocity that encompassed the quintessential parts of her, and everyone knew that her heart was guarded by the very part that made her a force of nature.

So Alex sat, pondering the very fatalistic existence that seemed to plague her since she had first set eyes on her heart, her sister, the very soul of them both. It was whirlwind of love, fear, and hope that surrounded them whenever they faced off against villains, or death, or separation. She felt that anger after Clark had dropped a small girl tainted by the disasters of life and who was, once again, being abandoned. Before jealousy, before inadequacy, Alex Danvers felt compassion and anger swirling around until both were seemingly indistinguishable from the other. It was a slow fade into a darkness that mixed with sunny brightness. A darkness she had no choice but to occupy if she were to protect them both, protect _her._ It was a role she gladly played, surpassing any precedents, breaking any boundaries, and redefining the meaning of love in its entirety. There were no lengths she wouldn't go. There were no walls she wouldn't shatter.

There was nothing she wouldn't do for her sister, but now here she sat cursing herself for making that promise. Cursing herself for promising to not do _anything_ to save the life of her sister. Her _heart_.

It wasn't like she had never broken promises before—she had. Fairly innocuous things that no one could bat an eye at and say were a testament to her flakey tendencies, but more often than not, Alex Danvers was a woman of her word. However, weighing promises to saving a life seemed hardly comparable. The justifications weaved throughout her consciousness moving to validate her shoving her hand up the ass of the person who ended up killing Kara and then further slamming their head onto the ground until only the mighty hand of god could piece that mutilated puzzle back together.

But however strong that darkness was, the light was stronger. The tethered good that restricted her from jumping face first into a life of brooding and altogether sadness. The rope that was strung across her wrist and yanked back whenever she got a little too close to the chasm. It was instinctual to do the right thing just as it was instinctual to defend those who needed it. The difficulty was the methods that tended to blur when she felt ever so inclined.

Like now.

She was pacing as Kara talked to Tera-Zar or Laurel or whatever the hell her name actually was. She was pacing back and forth, ignoring the pain and justifying the end. She could steal a ring, time hop, and save her sister—she could. It was practically effortless, yet she found herself at a stalemate. There were the two parts of her bickering and arguing about the implications and the consequences because as long as her sister was alive, she couldn't find herself completely ignorant of how this would affect others. About how this act would possibly ruin lives.

Knowledge was a curse disguised as a knight in shining armor. As the savior of mankind and doer of all good things, but it clawed at her. She felt the knowledge of what was going to happen bear down in all its density and suffocate her. To know and do nothing is the greatest tragedy, Alex believed. And here she was—knowing and doing absolutely nothing.

She could picture the death of Kara—she had nearly seen it many times before. Even before this incident with Cadmus, she saw her sister die by Vartox. In her mind she saw her die by Astra, Non, Rhea, the United States government, anyone they had ever came into contact with. But more terrifying was when she saw Kara die by reckless abandonment. The type of recklessness that came with bravery and morally strong principles. It was chaotic but graceful. It was beautiful, but it was also utterly painful. A hero's resolve was only as strong as their love for humanity, and Alex had never seen such stronger love than that from Kara. So more often than not Alex pictured her sister dying by saving someone's life. By throwing herself in the mix and sacrificing herself for another.

It was simple really, and she never thought any differently. No matter how much she groveled or begged her to stay or save herself, Kara would always save the civilian. She would always go through hell and back to make sure that they were safe, no matter the cost.

And that's what she saw right now. It's what she saw when she thought of Mon-El's proclamation that Kara would die. She pictured the selfless act of heroism that her sister would no doubt perform, and then the crushing blow that would ultimately take her from her.

It was graphic and gut-wrenching, and Alex knew what she had to do. So she perused the headquarters, aware of how inefficiently it was laid and how unguarded everything was. She didn't find it difficult to snag a ring from Brainiac's lab or put it on or project herself a year to the future.

Because when Mon-El said the time period was isolated, he must not have known Alex. He must not have known the lengths that she would go to save her sister and the will-power she possessed when it came down to doing just that. He must not have known what she would do to save her heart.

The swirling and disorienting lights and vibrations tunneled out her insides, and she felt like she was being ripped apart only to be put back together in worse shape than she had left. It was sickening, and she was sure she was going to pop out on the other in a pile of goo, but she didn't. By some stretch of miracle, she landed on her knees and hands, attempting to escape the pain and failing miserably.

She could make out the faint voices of people gathering around her, worried and throats thick with emotion. She thought she could make out the shape of Barry behind her, and she panicked, sure that she had time-jumped not far enough ahead.

"Alex? Is that you?"

She shook out her head, desperate to get the annoying ringing out of her head. "What?" she mumbled, angrily. "What?"

"Alex, get up." She felt arms wrap under her and yank her upwards. "Alex, I'm sorry. I know you're mourning. It's my fault."

She heard the catch in his voice and felt a quiver or fear flow through her body. She knew who he was talking about. She had made it here after all.

"Alex," a new voice, cold and distant.

"Clark?" She peered into the distance, aware of the long black hair that fell over his eyes and the dark beard and mustache that hid the flush in his cheeks. She didn't miss the unmistakable pain and anger that hid behind his blue eyes.

"Alex. I thought you said we were all cowards and were going to go kill him yourself." He looked around. "I don't see anything changing."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes, hands snaking through his long hair and shoving it backwards. "Cut the shit, Alex. Face it. You failed. We all failed. Just go back to Star City and get lost in a bottle again. Like you always do."

"Wh-what? Star City? We don't ha—" She looked around. She hadn't noticed the changes before when she landed. The way the were standing in front of S.T.A.R Labs, and the fact that Clark was on Earth-1. Or—she looked around again, seeing the faint outline of things that were only present in the Central City on Earth-38. Something was off and wrong, and she bet her life that _this_ was what had caused the entire mess. Whatever did _this_ ,killed her sister.

Clark was walking away, ignoring her grunts of confusion and moving to fly to the roof of the building. She was left only with Barry, noticing that he wasn't looking much better. While he didn't look as unkept as Clark, his face showed signs of deep tissue bruises and breaks that she believed he should have healed from. His hair was wet with what looked like blood and sweat, and she didn't miss the way he flinched from her gaze as if she was going to kill him with a mere look.

"Alex," he grunted, and Alex could see the pain etched on his features. "Cait-Caitlin she, uh, she cleaned her up. If you, uh, if you want to go say goodbye before we send her off."

"Send her off?" she asked.

"Yeah. Like her aunt. She always said she wanted, uh, she wanted to do that."

"Yeah," she said, eager to get away from these phantoms of people she cared about. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. "I'll go."

She turned away quickly, worried she might break down right then and there if she kept looking at the clearly broken man. She walked quickly into the lab and down the hall. She didn't know where she was headed, but at the same time she did. Her feet took her right, and then a left. They took her face to face to her sister who was laying with her hands crossed over the other and in a Kryptonian pod.

She saw the lifeless gaze in her sister's pale blue eyes, and the way she had a faint smile on her face. Her cheeks were flushed but clearly by makeup and not the way she would whenever she was embarrassed or excited. Every emotion and expression was the work of carefully affixed makeup and displayed the artificiality of death. This wasn't how she looked when she died. It was how she was when she was alive except her face wasn't moving and her lips weren't turning upwards in a smile like they always did when Alex visited. Kara wasn't moving to hug her as they would do whenever they saw each other again. She just merely… _was._ She was just there without anything else. She was dead.

Alex always thought she would feel more when her sister would die. That she might collapse in a heap of tears and heartbreak, but she just felt numb. She felt nothing at all, and that scared her. She felt nothing, but as she sat there, hour after hour after hour her emotions evolved. The hole in her heart was evident now. It was sinking and growing by the second. She felt herself drift away—the good parts of her. She felt them drift away, and she couldn't seem to catch them again. Then came anger. Anger at whoever or whatever did this. Anger at the fact the Barry couldn't save her. That Clark didn't save her.

That _she_ couldn't save her.

After that was the steely resolve of Alex Danvers. It was the vow to damn whoever did this. It was the stubborn and unforgiving part of her that officially grabbed the reigns of her body and was prepared to do whatever was necessary. She reminded herself that this wasn't _her_ Kara. This hadn't happened yet. She could prevent this. She needed to find out what happened.

Alex stormed out of the lab, bumping into Barry. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"How did this happen! How!" she screamed, her voice laced with thick pain.

"Alex! Stop! I couldn't do anything. I tried. God I tried. He's too strong. We tried everything! Can't you see, Alex? He's too strong. Ever since we lost the Monitor we've—we can't _win_ , Alex. Don't you see? I couldn't stop her. Clark and I _couldn't_ stop her. Oliver tried to get her to leave, but she was distracted. She didn't see the blast. Alex, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Alex glared at him, shoving him into the wall and letting go. She stormed out of the building, trying to find Clark. Trying to get an explanation to why she wasn't there to stop this. Trying to understand how _he_ didn't stop this.

The earth trembled, and she lost her footing, falling to the ground. She thought she saw things flicker and readjust, so she blinked, hoping to clear her eyes. The trembling stopped, and she stood up, confused at why there was a building where there previously was none.

"What the hell is happening," she muttered.

Alex found Clark exactly where she thought she would. For all their differences they were still the same in one important aspect. Their love of Kara.

He was kneeling, poking at the grass where Kara's pod had landed nearly fourteen years ago. Poking at the exact place he had found her. His eyes were red and puffy, and she thought she could make out slight mutterings from where he was.

"Clark," she said quietly.

He didn't turn around. "Fourteen years ago, I found her. I found her and then gave her away. I want you to know, Alex, that I didn't want to. I'm not naïve enough to think that you don't resent me for leaving her all alone, I know that, I do. It wasn't an easy decision, but I did it because I loved her. Mom and dad sacrificed so much to give me a life that they thought I deserved—free from any expectations. I had that choice, and I wanted to give that to Kara. I don't expect you to believe me or forgive me for abandoning her. I should have visited more. I know that. I shouldn't have brushed her off, but it hurt so much to see this remnant of my world and be forced to relive my decision. I'm not strong.

"But I will never regret that more than this. I will never forgive myself for letting her die. If I had just listened to Bruce. If I had just listened to him and not rushed into the situation, she would still be here. But she saved me, just like she always does. She saved me, and she saved Barry. Now look at this. We failed in our mission, and we're going to lose our world because of it."

Alex remained silent, unsure of what to say and what to do. She always had a fixed view on her cousin and her opinion of him. And a low one at that. She resented him—hated him. It was a hatred she kept hidden, but now she was seeing the vulnerability of a young man faced with an impossible decision. One that she couldn't expect a person so young to make and do so perfectly. He made mistakes, but she couldn't fault him for it. She couldn't. Not when she had made her fair share as well.

"Clark, I'm going to get her back." She was surprised to hear no doubt in her voice. That it didn't waver or crack but remained strong and consistent throughout. She mustered as much courage and belief into those seven words.

"Alex—you can't. It's impossible. You can't."

She shook her head vehemently. "I will, Clark."

They both heard a sound behind them and turned quickly. She saw a man in a brown trench coat approach them warily. His face was pinched, almost apologetic as he walked up to Alex. His hair was parted neatly, and his attire looked almost western. Clark stood, moving to stand next to Alex.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice threatening.

"Hello, Mr. Kent. I hope you don't mind but I need to talk with Agent Danvers."

"Not until you tell me who you are."

"Apologies. I'm Rip Hunter. Now, if I may?" He nodded towards Alex, and she found herself finding him familiar in some sense.

"No way in hell. She's not going with you," he said, stepping in front her.

She glared at him. "Clark, shut up. I'll go."

He whipped back around. "Alex, think about this."

"I am, Clark. I'll be back."

She moved towards the man, and he led her away towards a back area of the clearing. There was a suspicious gap of trees in an otherwise full forest. Her eyes must have fooled her because a second later a ship, something that looked like it was from Star Wars, appeared out of thin air. It extended across the entire clearing and ramp extended from the bottom. Rip gestured towards the ramp, and she bounded up the side of it, examining each panel on the wall.

"Interesting, isn't it?" he mentioned, noticing the careful way she looked over the ship.

"Futuristic might be the better word, wouldn't it?"

"Indeed."

"Why am I here, Rip?"

He sighed. "Agent Danvers, I think you know why I'm here."

She glanced at the ring on her middle finger. "It's because I traveled in time. You're here to stop me."

"I'm here to show you what happens. That's what you want? Isn't it?"

She nods.

He presses a button on the console in the middle of the room, and a holographic image pops up. Alex saw a planet. A different one that had green skies and skyscrapers. She saw a man, a blue man vaporized in front of what looked like a council. The picture mutated to a formation of a group that wore green and black and rings that projected a green light. It shaped to show black and white—light and dark swirling around in one area. One side and another. The light vanished suddenly and disappeared from the picture, leaving only the dark. It morphed into a figure, tall blue and robotic with hollow eyes. The being snapped, and a world was wiped. Another snap—another death. She saw a unification between her friends and Lex Luthor. She saw another figure that was purple and one she didn't recognize.

There was then silence. Darkness and the quiet surrounded her, and she felt what was going to happen before it happened. The robotic being had Clark and Barry by their throats. Oliver was perched above, arrow nocked and ready. He was peering at the enemy, ready to shoot him but hesitating. And then there was Kara. She slammed into the man causing him to drop them both. They fell to the ground in a heap, grasping at their necks and trying to relieve the pressure that had just been there not two seconds ago. The struggle between the two was brutal, Kara receiving hit after hit but not wavering in her resolve. She punched and kicked using every bit of her powers to push it back and far away from Barry and Clark. There was a moment when Alex thought she was going to win. A small, slight hesitation on his part that allowed for her to jam her fist into his face. Then a kick. Then heat vision. She was going to win.

But she didn't. Oliver saw it. Alex could see the look on his face. The look of hard-earned experience. She knew he saw the way the robot pulled his punches to prepare for a bigger takedown. The way he positioned himself. The way he set Kara up to be beaten. So he called out to her to warn of the impending hit that would shatter her.

And she looked. She looked at him for a half a second. And then the robot struck. A blast of energy that connected in the center of her chest—straight on the 's'. Her body shook, and the hit reverberated throughout. The suit was burned away revealing bruises so grotesque that Alex felt like she had to throw up. Blood poured from the cuts all across her body, and Alex could see the shake of her stomach as she sucked in her last breath. The way her eyes widened and then all vestiges of life disappeared.

The world seemed to still. Barry, Clark, Oliver—she saw their expressions. The unbelief. The shame. The guilt. She saw it all in slow motion as Barry vibrated and healed himself faster than she had ever thought him capable of doing. In a moment, he was healed and running towards Kara, scooping her up in his arms and running away. In fact, that's what all of them did. They ran.

The death of a hero. The death of Supergirl. The death of Kara. The death of her sister. Alex felt her chest constrict. The death of her _heart._

She saw billions—even trillions of earths all slam into each other at once to combine into one. The multiverse—gone. Memories merged. Identities forgotten.

This image morphed and merged, changing ever so quickly that her eyes fought to keep up. This was more than her worst fears. This was more than a problem. This was a _crisis._ This was the end of all earths.

Then the video stopped, and Alex turned towards Rip, tears burning her eyes.

"Why did you show me that?" Her voice was thick and broken. Defeated and withdrawn.

"Isn't that what you wanted, Agent Danvers?"

She shook her head. "No." The word came out as a plea. She cleared her throat. "Where was I? Where was I when she was kill-killed?"

"You were off earth. Fighting someone much more dangerous."

"I should have been there," she whispered.

"No. You would have died as well."

"How can I stop this? How do I keep this from happening?" There was a helplessness to her voice.

"Mr. Allen was supposed to die as well. Him and Supergirl both. But something changed, and he didn't. Your friends have a nasty habit of changing the future, and I believe you can still change it. Your friend Mon-El was right. The key is in Barry. The key is in you. She was supposed to die on Krypton, but fate saved her and placed her with a family that made her who she is today. You have both rewritten your destinies, and you can do it again."

"I can't lose her."

Rip smiled faintly. "If I may overstep my bounds—Barry and Kara exhibit an extraordinary propensity for selflessness. Their relationship is unlike anything I have ever seen, transcending earths and fate itself, but the truly unique relationship lies with you and your sister. There is nothing like it across any reality or any timeline. I believe that you can save her, Agent Danvers."

"How do I stop what's coming?"

"You just will. Things are already in motion." He smiled softly, sadness lining his eyes. "I'm very sorry about this."

Alex didn't see it happen. She wasn't prepared when Rip raised his hand with a small device. There was a flash and then everything she had learned, everything she had known fled from her mind, escaping. It was quick and painless, but she felt the memories of the past day fleeing. Her knowledge of Kara's death, of the future—gone.

She woke up in her mind, confused and dazed, at the Legion headquarters. She was aware she had lost something important—something essential, but Alex shook it off and got up. She went and found Mon-El to ask him about the Legion, oblivious to the strange look he gave her and the way he looked at her as if she were going to kill him. Everything wiped. All knowledge of the impending crisis gone.

* * *

Kara was sure that something was wrong. Alex seemed distant, almost lost when she had come and said hi. She felt Mon-El's lingering eyes on her whenever they were together, and the way the new girl stared at her was unsettling to say the least. Everything just felt off.

She mentioned it to Laurel, but the woman waived their responses to the awe of meeting her. The way someone would get flustered in front of a celebrity or a role model, and she always felt strange whenever she thought of herself in that light. It was weird.

In fact this whole situation was just _weird._ She wasn't stupid, not by any stretch. So she wondered why Laurel was in 21st century. She had tried to force herself to tame her curiosity, but she couldn't do that anymore than she could force herself to not be Supergirl. Things weren't adding up and people felt as if they were walking on eggshells around her. It was infuriating.

She was currently sitting next to Laurel, listening to her explain the Legion's policies and whatnot, but she felt like all she could focus on was the nagging on the back of her mind to get the truth finally.

"—and that's how the Fatal Five became out archenemies. I know you had an enemy with Reign which was brutal to say the least."

"Who?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh sorry. It's no one. I was just talking to myself apparently. Kara, are you even listening to me?"

"Laurel, I'm sorry. Yes. You were explaining why the Legion is the way it is, and that you guys faced off against someone named the Fatal Five. Right?"

"Right. But still. You seem a little dazed. Are you alright? Is it the Kryptonite in you? Do you need to go see Gym'll again?"

"Laurel, I'm fine. I promise. I do have one question though. Are you ever coming back to the 21st century?"

She shook her head, wincing. "I don't know, Kara. I told you before that I didn't complete my assignment. The future is still in jeopardy. I don't know if the boss is going to send someone else. We can't have more than one member in the past now that the Fatal Five is back." He brows furrowed suddenly as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Would that be alright with you if someone else went?"

"I wish Mon-El would just tell me what was wrong. I could help."

Laurel flinched. "I don't think so, Kara. This is a little bigger than you."

"If you say so."

They both turned aware, hearing a slight knock at the door as Mon-El entered the room. He grinned at the two of them, his eyes lighting up.

"Hey, Kara. I think Barry's looking for you."

She stood up, grabbing Laurel's hand and squeezing it softly. "Thanks. I'll see you later."

Mon-El's eyes follow her as she leaves, moving to sit next to Laurel on the bed as soon as she's gone. "Alex seems to have forgot our whole conversation. I'm not sure what happened, but I think Rip Hunter might have something to do with it."

"That's good," she says, shaking her head. "By what I've heard about Alex, she would do anything to save her sister and could ultimately make things worse."

"Yeah." He looked at her tiredly. "What do I do, Laurel? How do I stop this?"

"I don't know, Mon-El. I don't know. Maybe this is how things have to happen. Maybe she has to die."

"No," he stated with as much confidence as he could muster. "No."

"What else can we do without jeopardizing the future even more than it is?"

"I don't know. We still have time before the wave reaches the 30th century. There is still time to fix this."

"How?"

"I think Barry is the key. He can save her."

* * *

Kara entered the room, smiling as her eyes connected with Barry's.

"Heard you were looking for me."

"Yeah. I was wondering how we're going to get back. Mon-El seemed pretty adamant that we shouldn't leave. I'm pretty sure I could steal a ring and get us back to where we need to be."

"Yeah." She bit her lip. "Do you get the feeling that they're hiding something from us?"

"Of course I do. This is the future. I'm sure they have many things that they know but are keeping hidden from us. As someone who has messed up the timeline more times than anyone, if I have learned anything it's that the future is best kept a secret. We don't need to know."

"You're right. I know you are, but this feels different. It feels bigger."

"Just trust me, Kara. Nothing good can come from knowing."

"Okay. No more questions then. Let's get out of here. I'm sure that my parents and Clark are losing their minds."

"Hopefully not too much. Alex sent everyone a test before we entered the facility. They shouldn't be too worried. But I agree. Let's get out of here."

Before they could take a step, there was a bright flash of green light and then something flew outside of it, barely caught by Barry before it connected with his face. He stared at the object, bewildered at it. It looked like a trident.

Next was a woman who came barreling out of it brandishing a sword. The blade swung, and the blunt end smacked against Barry's chest, keeping him in place. His hands immediately raised, and he prepared himself to be skewered into a million pieces.

The last people to enter was Bruce, Clark, and a new man wearing green and black. Their faces were somber and serious, emoting the severity of whatever they were about to say.

"Diana, it's fine." The woman backed off slowly, her sword lowering but her eyes no less suspicious.

"Are you guys done fooling around? Because Cadmus has made their move, and we could really use your help."

* * *

Lex Luthor was furious.

Though his relationship with Brainiac could be described as one-sided, he knew that he retained the power. He was necessary to the plan, and without him, Brainiac could not accomplish his goal. It was intricate. It was methodical. This would not fail. Gathering troops, uniting people. It was almost too simple. And now having Jones gain control of the DEO was almost too sweet. With his mother dead and his sister's pathetic decision to side with the heroes, everything had fallen to him. Cadmus, the ideology, the responsibility to save the human race from compliance.

He agreed with Brainiac. Knowledge was power and as a man that who had traversed galaxies, Lex was sure that the secret to salvation lay on the ship.

So seeing the ship flying above Metropolis was unsettling to say the least and to have not been aware of it had been downright disrespectful to their relationship. Something had to have changed in the plan, and Brainiac was now abandoning anything they had decided unanimously.

Flying menacingly above his city, Lex was prepared to defend the human race once more from the alien scourge.

This would not go unanswered.


End file.
